


Ignorance is Bliss

by Gerkyhen



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, F/M, University Setting, romcom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-04-07 15:34:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4268721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gerkyhen/pseuds/Gerkyhen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trust Sakura Haruno to fall for the one guy she probably shouldn't have, her ex boyfriend's younger brother. But hey, what she pretends to not know can't hurt her right? Romcom. University AU. SasuSaku, ItaSaku mentioned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ignorance is Bliss

_Chapter 1:_ **Snuffles and her laundry**

Finally. The coast was clear. She hoped.

Sakura had been pressed up against her room door for the past 2 hours, just waiting for all signs of life to die down so she could run down to the laundry room.She’d needed to put her dirty knickers in like a week ago, but she’d been fluey for the past few days and so hadn’t wanted to step foot outside her dorm room, not with the hellspawn that was Karin Uzumaki waiting outside to laugh at her snotty nose, and not with the chance of bumping into her (recent) ex Itachi. As Ino had pointed out, when you next see your ex after splitting up, it is literally a one hundred percent requirement to look good, otherwise you have failed at life completely and they have won. Sakura narrowed her eyes, recalling the words Itachi had said to her on the day he had dumped her. _‘We’re just too different. I think you need to mature, and I wouldn’t want to hold you back from doing that.’_ Bloody Itachi. Holier than thou Itachi. Tears sprang into Sakura’s eyes and she immediately shook her head, trying to make them go away. They hadn’t even been together that long, only 6 months. She hadn’t even met his family. Though since they’d broken up Sakura had begun to worry that was because she was embarrassing.

_No._ The girl steeled herself against these familiar emotions and self-doubts. This was not the time. She needed her strength for this. Whether snotty or not, Sakura Haruno was going to take her dirty laundry down to the shared laundry room at 2am in the morning and she was going to do it with pride!

Nodding silently to herself, Sakura yanked up her basket of dirty clothes and slowly edged open her door. She peered out, one large green eye gazing into the dimly lit abyss of the corridor. It was clear, as she had suspected. Usually everyone was out by 2am, or in, depending on the people. Sakura was doing medicine and so constantly had exams, meaning she was basically always in.

The girl stepped into the corridor fully, holding her laundry basket like a shield in front of her chest. She began making her way down. It was two flights of stairs. She’d get down there without anyone seeing her, right? The girl made a silent prayer to whoever was above her that this was the case. She was already known as the weird nerd girl that managed to bag Itachi Uchiha, she didn’t need to be known as the weird nerd girl that managed to bag Itachi Uchiha who crept around at 2am while looking like a half goblin monster.

These thoughts in mind, Sakura began her descent down the steps. The occasional bout of laughter or drunken yelling could be heard from outside, but, for the most part, the building was quiet, and so the Haruno made it all the way to the bottom without encountering another soul. Feeling a bit more confident, she lowered the basket slightly and headed for the laundry room. For the whole building there were two laundry rooms, both of them shared by both sexes. Sakura wasn’t **completely** embarrassed about doing her laundry in front of guys, but it wasn’t something she exactly sought out. Not that she’d really have to worry about the issue of anybody being in the laundry room this time round she mused to herself. It was 2am, no one was going to be in there.

She pushed the door open with her back before attempting to walk in backwards. This move however ended up quite literally putting her on the back foot as one of her large pink slippers somehow managed to bend upwards, causing her to crash, in quite the undignified manner, into the room. She would have probably fallen completely to the floor if she hadn’t managed to slam her laundry basket loudly onto a nearby washing machine, making the whole room echo with the clatter of plastic meeting plastic.

Eyes wide, the girl took a moment to breathe. Thank **God** no one was in the room to have witnessed that whole catastrophe. Why was she such a klutz!? What patient would let her come near them with a scalpel?

“Hey,”

Sakura froze. Pin pricks of doom running their way up and down her back and all over her arms.

“Are you ok?”

She wasn’t alone. Somebody had seen the whole thing. Somebody had just witnessed a snotty goblin girl come crashing into the laundry room at 2am at night.

And **she** was the snotty goblin girl!

Feeling her dwindling headache take on a resurgence, Sakura turned stiffly, a taut smile on her face. All she had to do was assure the person she was alright, maybe make a light joke of it, and then she could go back to work and in about half an hour finally have fresh knickers to wear.

Yeah. That was the plan. That would have worked. If the person asking if she was ok hadn’t turned out to be a gorgeous creation of art work brought to life.

“Ah…buh…” Words had no meaning anymore. What were words? What was going on? Why was there an angel in the laundry room at 2am? Nobody was meant to be in the laundry room at 2am, not even regular people. Sakura brought her hand up to her forehead, checking half-heartedly to see if she had a fever and was just imagining it. But no, there he was, a boy she had never met before, with a face so beautiful even the most stoic of men would cry at the impossibility, and her first encounter with him was crashing into the laundry room at 2am while looking like Dracula had just finished sucking out all her blood. Fine. This was fine.

Deep onyx eyes framed by long lashes peered at her in both confusion and concern. “What?”

Sakura couldn’t answer. She just stared back at him dumbly.

There was a moment of silence. The boy’s washing machine rumbled quietly. Sakura just stared, and then he quirked an eyebrow.

“Well, ok the-”

“I’M FINE!”

_Crap._ Silence once again descended as the male in front of her recoiled slightly, obviously a tad alarmed by Sakura’s yelled affirmation. He quickly recovered however, and obviously despite himself, a small smirk made its way onto his face.

“Hn.” He nodded his head. “Well, that’s good.” Then he turned back to watch his washing.

Sakura didn’t move, continuing to simply stare at him, though a trickle of despair did begin to pour down the inside of her body like some sort of morose treacle. This beautiful boy was more interested in watching his laundry go round and round than pay attention to her, goblin that she was. Oh God, maybe Karin had been right, maybe Itachi had been a once in a life time thing that was never going to be equall-

“Is putting colours in with whites really bad?”

Sakura’s head snapped up and she looked over at the boy again. He had a slightly concerned look on his face, his hands on his hips as he regarded his washing. After a few moments of silence, he cocked his head to look at her, apparently awaiting an answer.

Sakura, eyes wide, stood straighter. “Um, not one hundred percent of the time,” she replied. She turned to regard her own laundry, considering whether she should start putting it into the washing machine while he was in the room. It was mainly knickers after all. God, what would Ino tell her to do? She narrowed her eyes slightly. Oh she **knew** what Ino would suggest. She’d say to just brazenly whip out the sexiest knickers and, very obviously, put them into the washing machine, bending down lewdly as she did so. Sakura pulled another face as she regarded her sad bunch of clothes. But she didn’t own any sexy knickers…She tried to surreptitiously glance over at the boy, only to see he was still looking at her, seemingly thinking she had not finished. “Oh, uh. Just, sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. Did you look at the tags on the coloured things you put in? Sometimes it says that they run.”

The beautiful angel pulled a slight face, his eyes flickering to the washing machine. “…no.” He answered after a short while.

“And did you put it on hot or cold?” Sakura asked.

The boy stared at her for a few moments before pointing at the washing machine setting he’d put it on. Sakura advanced forwards and looked for a few moments. He’d put on regular heat. It was basically up to the washing machine gods to decide now.

“That’s warm,” she said, looking up and tucking a piece of unbrushed candy pink hair behind her ear. “It’s really kind of hit and miss. I couldn’t give you a solid answer.”

“Ah,” he nodded, looking sombrely down at his machine before glancing back up at her. “My name’s Sasuke by the way.”

“Sakura.” Sakura introduced, trying to smile casually as her heart beat a million miles a minute. “I…I haven’t seen you around here before…”

“Around the laundry room at 2am?” Sasuke checked, and when Sakura glanced over at him, he smiled slightly. “No, I agree, it’s weird I haven’t seen you around before.”

“What do you study?” Sakura enquired.

“Maths. You?”

“Medicine. I only moved here last year, from another dorm building,” the Haruno paused, thinking of how most of last year was spent at Itachi’s place. “I tend to spend a lot of time in my room studying,” she glanced down at her laundry again. “And I’ve been ill recently.”

“I can tell.”

Sakura look up at him, slightly taken aback.

“Uh, sorry.” He tucked his hands into the pockets of his black jeans and glanced off to the side. “Just, cuz you sound like you have a cold.”

Sakura scoffed slightly. “And I look like a goblin woman, you can say it.” She glanced once again at her laundry.

Sasuke let out a small chuckle. “I don’t know whether I’d use those words uh…ever, actually.”

Sakura laughed a little too. “Well, they’re accurate,” she toyed with a piece of clothing in her laundry basket. “I wouldn’t blame you.”

Sasuke’s eyes moved down to what she was touching in the basket. Sakura absentmindly brought her eyes down too, only to half screech when she realised she was basically caressing her ugliest pair of knickers.

“I…I NEED TO PUT THIS IN THERE!” She yelped and then grabbed the basket, slamming it to the ground and whipping open the washing machine door. She began hastily shoving things inside, hoping against hope she wasn’t going to throw something in Sasuke’s general direction.

Minutes began trickling by as Sakura pushed more and more knickers into the washing machine. How long had she owned this many!? There seemed to be an unlimited supply. _Wait a minute._ Sakura narrowed her eyes as she stopped and examined the lacy black thong she was now holding in her hands. **_Ino!_** This was not the first time the blonde had sneakily deposited her washing into Sakura’s. The girl glanced up at Sasuke only to see he was very deliberately looking anywhere but at her hands, his mouth pulled into a slight pout.

“Th…”

Sasuke looked down at her as she went to speak.

“These aren’t…they aren’t m-” Sakura was cut off however when the door slammed open and a very drunk blond boy came careering in.

“SASUKE! I’VE BEEN SLAMMING INTO EVERY DOOR I COULD AND THIS IS THE FIRST ONE THAT OPENED!”

Sasuke’s face immediately dropped. Sakura glanced round to look at the new entrée. He was clearly in their year, with huge blue eyes under a blonde fringe. Sakura had a vague feeling she’d met him somewhere before, but she couldn’t be sure. Apparently however, the new boy remembered quite clearly where he’d seen her before.

“Hey!” He pointed at Sakura, his eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to focus properly through his drunken haze. “You’re Ino’s best friend right!? I slept round yours the other week!”

Sakura peered up at him and then her face stiffened. “Oh right,” she agreed. “You’re the guy that fell asleep on our kitchen table and then ate all of the potato salad in the fridge.”

“Dobe.” Sasuke muttered quietly, dragging one of his hands down his face.

Sasuke’s friend, however, did not seem ashamed of this memory, rather he seemed excited that Sakura remembered him at all. “Yeah, yeah!” He nodded enthusiastically. “You remember me!? You’re…Sakura, right? I’m Naruto Uzumaki!” He stuck his hand out for Sakura to shake.

Dumping Ino’s thong back into the basket, Sakura placed her hand in his, only to wince as the boy levered it up and down excitedly, nearly wrenching her limb out of the socket.

“You’re way prettier than I remember Sakura!” He exclaimed, releasing her hand and standing back to grin at her. “Thanks for letting me eat all your potato salad!” He then looked over at Sasuke, while Sakura pinkened at the compliment. “Sasuke!” He pointed at him, pouting. “You just abandoned our Mario Kart race! Was it because I was winning!? Dattebayo!”

Sakura turned to look at Sasuke who was looking exasperated as he replied. “No, you spilled ketchup all down my hoodie remember? And you weren’t winning. I was.”

Naruto paused, his finger drooping slightly. “Really?” He brought his hand back and scratched the back of his head, beginning to laugh. “Oh, well, all well! Anyway, I came down here to tell you that Kiba texted to ask if we want to go out!?”

Sasuke pulled a face and then glanced at his laundry again. Then his eyes moved to Sakura. The girl’s own eyes widening as he looked at her thoughtfully.

“How about it?” He asked. “I know you’re ill, but we could just go to a bar or something, if you like?”

Naruto looked from Sasuke to Sakura and then back again, and then a huge grin spread across his face. “Did I interrupt something?” He asked, his voice hiding barely concealed glee.

“You interrupted laundry.” Sasuke returned dryly, before moving his gaze back to Sakura who was now staring up at him like a rabbit caught in headlights.

“I…I’m not dressed,”

“We’d wait for you!” Naruto exclaimed.

“You don’t even know me,”

“I’ve stayed round your room!” Naruto disagreed. “And you and Sasuke have clearly met!” He grinned cheekily again.

“But I…I need to do my laundry…”

“Nonsense!” Naruto moved forward and grabbed up Sakura’s basket, quickly dumping the whole thing into the washing machine. He snatched the communal washing powder off the top of the machine, dumped far too much in, slammed the compartment shut and then pressed a few buttons. “See!? Done!” Sakura stared at him, open mouthed.

Sasuke let out a sigh. “I was going to say you didn’t have to come if you didn’t want,” he cocked his head as Sakura looked up at him, shutting her mouth. “But it’d be cool to get to know you more,” he glanced off to the side after holding her gaze for a few moments. “Maybe.”

Naruto leant down next to Sakura. “That’s Sasuke code for ‘he thinks you’re cute’.” He informed in a stage whisper.

“Dobe!” Sasuke hissed, bristling, a slight pink hint on his cheeks.

Sakura, herself, after hearing these words, went the same colour as her tomato coloured pyjamas. A smile stretched across her face. “Really?” She hung her head slightly and trailed her finger across her empty laundry basket. “Well, I mean…I’d like to come,” she glanced up at Sasuke, her eyes half hidden under her fringe. “If you’d really like me to.”

“OK!” Naruto yelled, nearly deafening Sakura, who pulled away from him and shot Sasuke a look, the boy returning it with a defeated look of his own. “THEN LET’S GO!”

“Idiot,” Sasuke sighed. “I need to wait for my laundry first.”

“And I need to get ready,” Sakura got to her feet and then looked at both of the boys inquisitively. “Where shall I meet you?”

Suddenly the door slammed open and a group of angry tired looking students in pyjamas became apparent.

“Do you want to shut up!?” Demanded one particularly angry looking brunette girl, aiming the comment at Naruto, who had swung round drunkenly.

“Are you the guy who was slamming on all of our doors yelling for Sasuke?” Added a moody looking boy, his long brown hair messy.

Naruto grinned. “Yeah, I-Seeya!” He suddenly bounded out of the room, pushing past the group of students and sprinting down the hallway.

The mob turned to look at Sakura and Sasuke. The pair shrugged in unison, signifying they were as bewildered by the situation as them.

“He’s an idiot.” Sasuke eventually offered.

The students began grumbling and then began making their ways back down the hallway, leaving Sakura and Sasuke to look at each other. The boy rolled his eyes and Sakura giggled, going pink again.

Sasuke smiled slightly. “What floor’s your room on? We can meet you outside your room if you like? Walk down together?”

Sakura blushed an even deeper shade of pink and then nodded. “S…sure. I’m room 28 on the third floor.”

Sasuke nodded. “See you in a bit.”

Sakura gnawed on her bottom lip and then turned. “Yeah,” she agreed. Her heart almost hurting it was beating so fast. “See you in a bit.” She opened the door and stepped out, letting it close behind her. She almost wanted to slide down the wall. What was going on? Sasuke was one of the best looking guys she’d ever met, and he was nice on top of it? And he’d just asked if she wanted to hang out even while she looked like a pupating goblin larvae!? The whole situation was so unprecedented that Sakura was half inclined to think it was staged. She started up the stairs, grinning the whole way. Maybe she was going to enjoy this term afterall.

* * *

 

Around half an hour later, Sakura was dressed and ready and standing inside her living room, staring at the front door to her room, being far too eager but not caring. She’d had a shower, tied her hair into two piggytails. She’d managed to find a cute black dress and had grabbed a large pink cardigan to put over the top. Now she waited, her legs, clad in black cotton tights, squeezed together.

A knock.

Sakura waited a few moments, counting to twenty in her head. She was eager, but she didn’t want Sasuke to know **how** eager. She’d had to employ this tactic when she’d been going out with Itachi. She’d quickly realised that hot guys found it kind of weird if you ripped open doors mere fractions of seconds after they’d knocked.

Once she’d hit twenty, she opened the door and peered out. Sasuke stood in the hallway, hands in his pockets. He’d changed too she noticed. Replacing his hoodie with a blazer over a white t-shirt.

“Hey,” he looked her up and down. “You look nice.”

Sakura blazed red. “So…so do you,” she complimented. “Really nice.” The pair of them held each other’s gaze for a few moments, a thousand wants and impulses flashing between them, but then Sakura stepped out of the room properly, closing the door behind her. No matter how much she wanted to jump Sasuke (a lot), she’d only just met him and while she had no problem with other girls having one night stands or having sex on the first time of meetings (Ino did this often), it just wasn’t something she was cut out for.

Sasuke looked down the corridor. “Let’s go find that dobe and head out.”

Sakura nodded, and then the pair began down the corridor, heading for the stairs.

* * *

 

“I want to go to a club!” This was the third time Naruto had exclaimed this. Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, and Naruto’s friends, Kiba, Shikamaru and Temari had been in a bar for the last few hours, all of them enjoying themselves as they chatted and joked. Naruto however, was so drunk that he didn’t seem to be capable of proper human conversation anymore. He was currently dancing next to the group’s booth, his face glum, which contrasted hilariously with his enthusiastic dancing.

“Naruto, you bonehead, for the last time, we’re not going to a club. And you’re too drunk anyway,” Kiba, who was also extraordinarily drunk, snatched up his drink off the table, glugged it down and then wiped his chin aggressively. “You’d never get in!”

Naruto pointed at Kiba, incorporating the move into his dance. “I would too!”

Kiba however wasn’t paying attention to Naruto as he was looking over the boy’s head at a girl at the bar. Sakura followed his eye line and recognised the person as Hinata Hyuga, she’d stayed at the same building as Sakura last year. She was very sweet and very shy if Sakura remembered correctly.

“I bet if we both went to get into a club then you’d get rejected and I’d be told to go in becau-”

“He’s not listening to you dobe.” Sasuke interjected. Naruto turned to look at his friend, who was sitting next to Sakura, his arm over the back of the seat.Sakura nodded in the direction that Kiba had shot off in, namely towards Hinata.

“What’s he doing?” The Uzumaki slurred.

“I think he’s gone to talk to Hinata.” Sakura offered.

“Lucky girl if talking is all that Kiba’s planning.” Temari added in dryly.

“What a drag,” Shikamaru sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “Well I’m not going after him if he starts humping her leg.”

“Sometimes it is such an annoyance hanging out with team man whore.” Temari muttered. She reached out and pinched Shikamaru’s cheek. The boy shot up, rubbing the spot she’d grabbed.

“Ow.” He complained.

“Team…man whore?” Sakura tried, her gaze flicking to Sasuke.

“Kiba and Naruto,” the boy quickly muttered, apparently realising where her thoughts were going. “I’ve actually only recently got out of a…something.”

Sakura quirked an eyebrow. “A ‘something’?”

Sasuke shrugged, looking down at his drink. “I don’t know whether you could call it a relationship,” he glanced up at Sakura, raising his eyebrows. “Did you just silently accuse me of being in team man whore?”

Sakura put a finger to her chin and giggled. “You know what? I think I may have.”

Sasuke smirked. “Hn. Not my thing.”

They looked over at Kiba and Naruto, both of whom were now over at the bar with a startled looking Hinata, both of them seemingly trying to put the moves on.

“So what was her name?” Sakura asked, aiming the question at Sasuke, but keeping her eyes on Kiba and Naruto.

Sasuke sighed. “Tayuya. She lives in our building. It was a short thing.” He grabbed his drink and took a sip, keeping his eyes on her face.

“So I’m not encroaching on anyone’s territory or anything?” Sakura turned to look at him, reaching out to fiddle with her drink.

Sasuke cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

Sakura glanced over at Shikamaru and Temari, but the pair were not paying attention, as they chatted (or rather complained) about something together. The Haruno moved closer to Sasuke, looking up at him.

“Only, ok,” she glanced down. “You’re kind of out of my league don’t you think? I’m just trying to make sure you’re not using me as a rebound after being with a really hot girl or something…” God. Great. She’d just come across as an amazing insecure loser. Why was she so crap at dealing with boys? This was part of why Itachi had broken up with her. Sakura was very intelligent, and she wasn’t completely socially inept, but when it came to boys, she was always second guessing herself, a product of being bullied about her looks when she was a lot younger. Sasuke still hadn’t answered her, so she looked up. His brows were pulled together.

“You think I’m out of your league?” He questioned, genuinely sounding confused. He leant forward, his voice dropping in volume. “Do you not know how beautiful you are?” And then he pressed his lips to hers, his hands coming up to hold her jaw either side.

Sakura went dizzy, her eyes closing as she felt his thumbs stroke under her ears. She kissed back, her arms coming up to be around the boy’s neck.

“HOW COME SASUKE’S GETTING SOME AND I’M NOT!?”

Sakura and Sasuke drew apart, Sasuke glowering. They both turned to see that Naruto and Kiba were drunkenly swaying in front of their booth, Hinata nowhere in sight.

“Dobe.” Sasuke’s head dropped and he pinched his brow. “I think it’s time we go home.”

“Another beer first!” Kiba called.

Sasuke slid out of the booth, leaving his phone and drink on the table. “How about water instead?” He moved over to the two boys, beginning to push them towards the bar. He looked over his shoulder at Sakura and smiled. The girl smiled back, feeling breathless. As Sasuke returned to his duty of dealing with team man whore, Sakura glanced down at the table, barely able to conceal her glee. She’d just kissed the cutest guy she’d ever met, and she hadn’t even been single that long! _CHA! Take that Karin, who’s the loser now!?_

Sasuke’s phone on the table buzzed, Sakura just managing to hear it over the Barry Manilow ballad that the bar was currently blasting in an apparent attempt to make the drunken students still in it leave. Absentmindly, she glanced down at it. And her heart froze.

**Sasuke, mum’s asking whether you’re coming home this weekend or the next. Hope university’s treating you well.**

The text was sent by Itachi Uchiha.

Itachi was Sasuke’s brother?

Sakura stared at it. Her eyes wide. Her heart splintering.

She looked up at the bar, Sasuke was still there, trying to stop Kiba and Naruto from stealing a fellow patron’s jaeger bombs.

She had to leave.

Grabbing her stuff, she began shuffling out of the booth.

“Hey Sakura, you’re leaving?”

Sakura turned to look at Temari. “Uh, y…yeah. It was nice meeting you.” She squeaked, bowing her head slightly.

“You’re not gonna wait for Sasuke?” Shikamaru questioned, raising his eyebrows.

“I’ve…I’ve…” Sakura’s eyes darted around, trying to come up with a good explanation. “I’ve just got my period!”

Shikamaru pulled his head back slightly and shared a look with Temari. Sakura didn’t wait to see their reaction. Panicking, she ran from the bar, ‘Mandy’ by Barry Manilow following her out.


	2. Chapter 2

Ignorance is Bliss

  _Chapter 2:_ **Morning Visits**

 

The next morning Sakura was lying spread eagled on her bed, staring up hopelessly at her ceiling. Thoughts of last night and **that** text ran through her mind. She flailed slightly. How could things have gone from ten to zero so quickly? Itachi bloody Uchiha was Sasuke’s brother! Thinking of it now, it was pretty clear; Sasuke looked a lot like his older brother.

Despite the fact it was 9am, Sakura’s room was dark, her maroon velvet curtains pulled shut to stop any light from invading. **Why**? Was whoever was up there testing her? What had she done to deserve this? And to top it all off, she was regretting running out of the bar last night. That had been so unfair on Sasuke. Though, she supposed, at least that would have probably put him off her. There was no way he’d want to pursue a girl who basically ditched him. God, that had been so **mean**!

There was a knock on her door.

“Mmm.” She murmured and the door opened to reveal Ino, one of Sakura’s roommates, in her pyjamas.

“Hi!” She greeted sunnily. “How’re you? I’m hungover as hell, but I had an awesome night last night.” She strolled in and dumped herself onto Sakura’s bed, lying down next to her and staring up at the ceiling.

“Did you come back here last night?” Sakura asked instead of answering her friend’s question. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

Ino smirked and then turned on her side, curling herself up slightly. “Nooo. I met up with a guy while I was out.”

Despite not really being in the mood to indulge her best friend’s gossipy antics, Sakura turned her head slightly to look at the other girl. “Oh really? And who was that?”

Ino pulled a face. “I don’t remember his name. It was nice though,” her eyes flickered back to the ceiling. “He even offered to cook me breakfast,”

“That is nice.” Sakura concurred.

“Though he wasn’t out of bed when I got up to leave,” Ino rolled her eyes good naturedly. “But yeah, sweet. How’re you anyway? Feeling better?”

Sakura let out a heavy sigh. “Yes and no.” She returned.

Ino grimaced. “That’s a point, should I really be this close to you? Could I get an infection?”

“Ino, you’re the one who gave me this cold in the first place,” Sakura reminded her. She sat up, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them. “And I’m basically better anyway.”

Ino’s perfectly plucked eyebrows bunched together and she cocked her head. “Then what’s up Forehead?”

Sakura huffed out a sigh. She half didn’t want to talk about it. It was a lost cause anyway and Ino couldn’t really say anything to help. Sakura couldn’t hang out with her ex-boyfriend’s little brother. She just couldn’t. She’d been crazy about Itachi. And besides, Sasuke probably wouldn’t even want to hang out with her ever again, she’d ditched him afterall.

“Oi,” Ino poked her lightly. She sat up too, crossing her legs and leaning her elbows on them as she peered at her best friend. “No, seriously Sakura, what’s wrong? C’mon, tell me,”

Sakura looked to the side, one of her hands coming down to finger the afghan blanket spread across her bed.

“Is it Itachi?”

Sakura flinched at the boy’s name. There was no way she was getting out of this room without telling Ino what had happened. The girl was just too damn perceptive.

“Uh…kinda,” she answered vaguely, bringing her gaze up to her ceiling once again. “L…last night I met his little brother.”

Ino pouted slightly. “And? So…?”

Sakura closed her eyes for a few moments before bringing her head down to look at the other girl. Her hair fell in front of her face slightly and she moved it back, clutching the strands at her neck.

“Ino, I…I **met** his little brother last night.” She gazed at the other girl meaningfully, willing her to understand what she was saying so she wouldn’t have to say it out loud.

Ino’s mouth opened into a perfect circle and she blinked once or twice, pretty turquoise eyes wide. Then she pointed down at the bed. “You…? Here?”

“No!” Sakura corrected. “No, no, we didn’t…I just…I met him in the laundry room last night and he was so beautiful and nice, and he and I and some of his friends went out to a bar and we kissed, but then his phone went off and the contact was Itachi.”

Ino gazed at Sakura for a few moments, running this story through in her head. “You went out last night?” She asked after a few moments, tone accusatory. “You told me you were poorly.”

“I was poorly!” Sakura defended, but it was too late, Ino was pouting off to the side now, arms crossed.

“Why don’t you ever want to go out with me Forehead, eh?”

Sakura sighed. Ino wasn’t really upset about this situation, it was actually a bit of a running joke that Sakura seemed to avoid going out at all costs. In fact, that was why it was so odd that she’d enjoyed herself so much last night. Not that it mattered now, since the situation could never be recreated ever again.

A few moments trickled by.

“ **Inooo**.” Sakura eventually whined.

Ino turned to look at her, arms still crossed and a lofty expression now upon her face. “I have deigned to forgive you as I want to know the gossip, but keep in mind you have hurt my young heart deeply and truly.”

Sakura fixed the other girl with a fearsome look before sighing. “That’s it basically. After seeing the text from Itachi pop up, I kinda, sorta, maybe, ran away?”

“Ran away!?” Ino gazed incredulously at her, her fake moody act dropping immediately.

Sakura winced. “Yeeaahhhhh…” Thinking about it in the light of day was really making the Haruno wish she’d taken a different course of action.

Ino leant forward slightly. “But didn’t anyone see you run off?” A smile of amusement suddenly slipped across her features.

Sakura’s look became deadpan. “What?” She questioned tiredly, aware that her best friend was about to tease her.

Ino giggled slightly. “Sorry, I’ve just got this image of this Sasuke guy and all his friends yelling after you and you just **sprinting** off,” she began chuckling louder.

Sakura glowered at her. “It’s not that funny.” She returned.

Ino began hooting slightly. “I’ve seen you run Sakura, you look like a wounded antelope,” she gasped. “Oh God, Oh God,” she wiped a tear from her eye, clutching her stomach. “Is that what happened? Did you sprint out of the place looking like a wounded antelope while a load of people yelled after you?”

Sakura crossed her arms and looked away. “No,” she returned. “I have more dignity than that Ino Pig!”

Ino began laughing harder at this and so Sakura reached out and pushed her. The Yamanaka very nearly fell off the bed, but she managed to regain her balance and push the Haruno back.

“Hey!” The pinkette yelped, wobbling, having not been prepared for such a quick retort. She fell off the bed, landing painfully on her back, her legs sticking up in the air. 

Ino burst into another round of laughter, gasping and pointing at her. “Yeah, so dignified Forehead!” She cackled.

Sakura pulled a face, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what she’d done to deserve such an evil person as her best friend.

After a few moments of Sakura not moving, Ino crawled over to the other side of the bed and peered down at her, still grinning, apparently finding Sakura’s life dilemmas very amusing.

“Ok, so what really happened?” She asked.

Sakura looked up at Ino’s upside down form and then glanced to the side, blushing. “I told Sasuke’s friends I’d just got my period and then ran out of the bar.”

“BWAHAHAHAHA!” Ino was cackling again, falling back onto the bed and grabbing her stomach.

Sakura waited for the laughter to subside again before getting up and heaving herself onto the bed again. Ino let out a few more giggles and Sakura poked her hard in the stomach.

“Some best friend you are, pig.” She sniped.

Ino chuckled. “Sakura, if I wasn’t your best friend, I wouldn’t know that you run like a wounded antelope, and therefore this whole conversation wouldn’t be nearly as hilarious as it’s turning out to be. Now,” she turned to look at her friend properly. “How do you know this Itachi is the Itachi that you Itachi’d with?”

 _‘Itachi’d with’? Seriously?_ Sakura raised her eyebrows at the other girl and then slumped. “Sasuke looks really like him.”

“Could be a coincidence?” Ino reasoned.

“How many guys do you know called Itachi?” Sakura shot back, chin in her hand and her arm resting on her knee.

“Hey, hey,” Ino cooed, coming closer and putting her arm around the girl. “Look, stop worrying. Things will work out. Sasuke’s probably already seen you run like a wounded antelope, he’s not going to want to see you ever again, problem solved, right?”

Sakura pushed the girl as she began laughing again. “Ino, you suck so bad. Anybody ever told you that?”

Ino grinned. “That is the exact opposite of what the guy last night said. ‘Ino, you suck so good’.”

Sakura gave her a sorrowful look. “You had sex with someone who said ‘Ino, you suck so good’?”

Ino itched her head, looking awkward now. “Well when you say it like that it’s not gonna sound great.”

Sakura quirked an eyebrow, quite glad that the conversation had turned off of her and was now onto Ino.

“Hey,” Ino moped. “Don’t look at me like tha-” She trailed off when she was interrupted by the unmistakeable sound of their dorm room door being knocked on. “Are you expecting visitors?” She enquired.

Sakura shook her head. “Lee might be?” She offered.

She and Ino shared their room with a third year called Rock Lee and a very quiet boy called Shino, who Sakura had literally never seen out of his room since the first day.

“Lee goes out at 6 to run track, and he’s never usually back from the gym until mid afternoon though.” Ino reasoned.

Sakura looked thoughtful for a moment before smirking. “Maybe it’s Suck So Good? Maybe Suck So Good wants to say ‘Morning so good’?”

Ino glowered at her. “That doesn’t even make sense.” She hissed back.

Sakura continued to smirk back at her, glad she was getting her own back on Ino’s teasing from earlier. The door was banged on again and Ino sighed, getting to her feet.

“Maybe it’s Neji,” she reasoned hopefully.

Neji was a third year student and friend of Lee’s that Ino had slept with once and never really got over, unusual when it came to Ino. Sakura felt for her, but Ino had insisted she’d moved on, and tried to display this by having copious amounts of sex with copious amounts of boys.

The Haruno got up off the bed and followed Ino into the living room come kitchen. As she headed for the fridge, Ino headed for the door.

And the person at the door was not Neji Hyuga.

Of course it wasn’t Neji Hyuga.

The unmistakeable voices of Naruto and Sasuke sounded almost immediately as the door opened.

“INO! See, I told you Teme! I told you Ino lived with Sakura!”

Sasuke sounded irritated as he replied. “I already knew that Naruto.”

Naruto, hidden behind the door, meaning Sakura couldn’t see him and, thankfully, neither he or Sasuke could see her, ignored Sasuke’s reply and continued speaking to Ino as if Sasuke had never spoken.

“Ino, is Sakura in!? Sasuke needs to talk to her!”

Sakura, concealed out of sight, blazed red. She was on high alert, listening to hear what Sasuke himself had to say about this.

“Dobe,” the boy hissed quietly. “I only came along to stop you from embarrassing everybody involved.” 

Sakura drooped. So maybe it hadn’t really affected him at all? Here she’d been worrying that she’d really hurt him and Sasuke didn’t even seem remotely bothered.

“Whatever Sasuke,” Naruto said blithely, clearly not believing his best friend. “Where’s Sakura Ino!? Sasuke wants to talk to her, believe it!”

“Or don’t.” Sasuke muttered.

Ino, eyes wide, looked over at the kitchen where Sakura was located, before looking back to their two new unexpected guests. The pinkette returned her gaze with a look of horror herself before she began combing her fingers through her messy hair. She glanced down. This was going to be the second time in two days that Sasuke was going to see her looking like a hot ass mess if she didn’t do something! She wasn’t even wearing a bra for God’s sake!

Ino had the good foresight to start stalling, obviously having looked at Sakura and come to the same conclusion the Haruno had: she looked like trash.

“Yeah, yeah, Sakura does live here,” the blonde agreed amiably, smiling widely at, Sakura presumed, Sasuke. “I’m Ino by the way.”

As Sasuke began introducing himself, Sakura began panicking. She couldn’t make a break for her room because then Sasuke would very obviously see her hurtling past the door behind Ino, but this also applied to Ino’s room as well as they were both located on the other side of the living room.

Sakura did a little jig of panic, looking both ways in alarm before spotting Rock Lee’s room, right next to the kitchen counters. Suppressing a yelp of joy, the Haruno, for some reason, parkoured over the counter and landed by Lee’s room with a thump, banging her knee painfully against the door. She whipped round to see if Ino was still managing to hold Sasuke and Naruto back and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the Yamanaka was telling what she and Sakura referred to as her ‘Teddy bear vagina story’, a story that would never be relevant to any situation but that Ino somehow managed to bring into any situation if a distraction was needed. Sakura had never heard the whole thing as she was literally always the one Ino had to distract people for. All she knew was that it involved a teddy bear and a vagina.

Sakura could hear Naruto complaining that he’d heard the story before, but Ino was steadily surging onwards with it, and if there was one thing Sakura knew definitively about the ‘Teddy bear vagina story’ it was that Ino would finish it. She always did.

Sakura turned back round and grabbed Lee’s door knob, yanking hard. It didn’t budge. The girl gazed at it, her eyes huge and then she yanked harder, as if to imply the door was lying to her the first time. It still did not budge. Letting out a silent scream, she released the door knob and looked around.

Her eyes narrowed in on Shino’s room. This was the only option. She ran at the door and shoulder barged her way in. Shino turned in surprise to look as she careered into his room, nearly falling straight into an ant’s nest he owned.

“Hello Sakura.” Shino greeted once Sakura had recovered her balance.

“Shino! Do you have any girl clothes!? Or any clothes at all really!?” Sakura grabbed the boy by his coat and stared at into his sunglasses. Staring back at her was her hideous un-makeup covered face. She let out a moan of horror. “And a mask maybe?”

Shino fell back slightly as she released him and then put his hand under his desk, retrieving a breathing mask, the type builders wore to make sure they didn’t breathe in dust.

Sakura stared at it for a few moments and then picked it up. She placed it on her face and then tied it. “Does this look weird?” She asked, her voice slightly muffled by the fabric of the mask.

Shino looked up at her steadily, his expression hidden behind his large jacket, but made even harder to read thanks to the dull lighting of the room. “No.” He answered after a short while.

Sakura raised her eyebrows and then glanced around, leaving the mask hanging loosely in her hand. “So, do you have any clothes I could borrow?”

Shino shrugged and pointed at his closet. “Careful of the moth chrysalises in there,” he said. “They’re almost ready to hatch.”

Sakura turned to Shino’s wardrobe, feeling a slight swell of disgust at the idea of moths pupating, or whatever they did, in close vicinity to her. She opened the cupboard, risked a glance at the creepy cocoon like structures that were growing in the corner and then yanked a load of clothes out. She picked up a large black shirt that was guaranteed to hide her chest better than the flimsy pyjama top she was wearing now and smiled at Shino.

“Could I please borrow this Shino? I’ll wash it and everything.”

Shino, who had turned back to his computer to do whatever he was doing, probably ordering bees or something, shrugged and raised a hand to signify he didn’t mind.

“Thank you so much!” Sakura squealed then she pulled the black shirt over her top and buttoned it up.

Right. Now it was time.

Dressed as best as she could, Sakura cracked open Shino’s door a little. Sasuke and Naruto were now in the living room. Sasuke was sitting down while Ino busied herself making tea, whereas Naruto was squinting around the room suspiciously as if trying to spot Sakura hiding in the rafters or something.  

 _Ok. Now or never._ Sakura took a deep breath and then exited Shino’s room, closing it quietly behind her.

The three in the room all turned to look at her. Sasuke’s eyes very obviously softening as he took her in.

“Oh! Sakura!” Ino exclaimed, flicking a glance at Sasuke as she made her way over to her best friend. “You’re done with…with the toilet!”

Sakura’s eyes widened and she gave the girl a horrified look. Ino pulled a, ‘I didn’t know what to say!’ look back and then looked over at Sasuke again.

“Cuz…cuz that’s the toilet.” She pointed at Shino’s room.

Sakura’s horrified look became more intense.

‘ _Why?_ ’ She mouthed at Ino.

Ino shrugged, looking frazzled.

“Tea!” She exclaimed, heading back over to the kitchen and sending an apologetic look at her best friend of her shoulder.

Sakura watched her move away and then turned to look at Sasuke, trying her best to return a look of normality to her expression.

“H…hi Sasuke,” she greeted. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Sakura, hi,” the male looked like he was going to say more, but he was unfortunately interrupted.

“SAKURA!”

Sakura had almost forgotten Naruto was there. The Uzumaki surged forwards, pointing his finger into her face. “I don’t remember most of last night but what I do remember is at one point you were there and then at another point you weren’t, meaning you left without saying goodbye! WHY!?”

Sakura brought her hands up in a placating gesture, flicking a worried glance Sasuke’s way. “I…I’m sorry Naruto.”

“We’re sorry for just barging in first thing in the morning,” Sasuke spoke up. “I tried to tell Naruto that you wouldn’t want us here, but the loser never listens.” 

Sakura tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, Shino’s large shirt covering her wrists. “No, no…” she trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

“Hey!” Naruto leant down, peering at Sakura’s shirt cuffs, his eyes narrowed so tightly they appeared to be shut. “Why’re you wearing a boy’s shirt?” A moment trickled by and then his eyes widened an almost comically huge amount. He turned to look at Sasuke.

The other boy was obviously thinking the same thing as his best friend as his gaze was also fixed on what Sakura was wearing, his eyebrows furrowed. “Do you…do you have a boyfriend?” He asked.

“What?” Sakura was genuinely confused for a few moments before she glanced down at what she was wearing in realisation. “Oh, no! No! This is just Shino’s!”

Sasuke peered at her curiously. “And Shino is…who? A guy?”

Naruto gaped at Sakura, his eyes full of accusation.

“Well, he’s not a guy guy.” Sakura said, and Ino nodded in agreement behind Sasuke, huffing slightly.

“WHY’D YOU JUST COME OUT OF HIS ROOM THEN!?” Naruto jumped to his friend’s defence, pointing viciously at Shino’s door.

Sasuke brought a hand up to scratch the back of his neck. “Maybe I should lea-” He turned.

“No!” Sakura interrupted, her voice high. She reached out and grabbed Sasuke’s hand. Shockwaves of heat rushed through her. Sasuke turned to look at her, his eyes both surprised and intense. Sakura watched as his fringe flew into place, framing his beautiful pale face. He was so gorgeous. Sakura’s eyes trailed up from where her small dainty hands clutched Sasuke’s large slender one. She followed the curve of his forearm, reaching up to his toned biceps- “Wait, did you think I was shagging Shino?” The absurdity of what was just being implied suddenly hit Sakura. 

Ino began cackling immediately at this question. Sakura soon began laughing too, trying to stifle it but failing. Sasuke glanced around at them both, very obviously confused. Naruto, too, was confused, but he began slowly laughing too, his laughter increasing in pitch and tone until he was guffawing along with the two roommates.

“Am I missing something?” Sasuke questioned.

Sakura couldn’t answer. She bent over, letting go of his hand, embracing the laughter. Ino was near wetting herself it seemed, clutching her knees together as she held onto the counter and laughed. It also became obvious that Shino was laughing too, from inside his room.

Sasuke remained silent as the roommates, and his friend, hooted and hollered, eventually moving to speak as Sakura began recovering.

“I just…I wasn’t sure why you left last night and then when I came in here and Ino was obviously trying to distract me, I just presumed that maybe you had a boyfriend or something similar you didn’t want me to know about,” Sasuke shrugged and then pouted off to the side, a slight blush staining his cheeks, obviously not used to not being in on the joke.

Ino began laughing again with more fury. “Shino! Shino being Sakura’s boyfriend!” She gasped. “Oh this is too much comedy for such an early morning!”

Sakura giggled a little too, but she had recovered by now. She peered up at Sasuke.

“I don’t have a boyfriend. I don’t have anything like that,” she promised, her voice serious.

Ino, sensing the change in tone, looked over at Naruto. “Oi, Naruto,” she beckoned him.

The boy looked over at her. “What?” He asked loudly. “I’m a little busy over here Yamanaka.”

Ino’s look became deadpan and she stomped over to him, grabbing his arm in a vice like grip. “We’re going into my room.”

“Why? I… **Oh**!” The Uzumaki grinned slyly. “Ok Ino, but I did have quite a lot to drink last night so don’t expect everything to run super smooth-”

“NO!” Ino shrieked, realising halfway through what the boy was suggesting. She flicked a glance over at Sakura and Sasuke, both of whom were watching her and Naruto with bemused expressions. “That is so not what I was saying Naruto,” she began shoving him towards her bedroom. “And nothing like that ever happened between us ok? And…and it **never** will!” She threw over her shoulder, nodding defiantly once before pushing Naruto into her room and leaving Sakura to it.

Whatever ‘it’ was going to be.

The Haruno had no idea whether she should tell Sasuke about Itachi or not. The idea of ruining something that could be so great before it had even begun was almost infuriating, and though it wasn’t exactly Itachi’s fault, Sakura couldn’t help but feel annoyance for him. How was this fair? Eh?

Sasuke brought his eyes back to her face. “Was it Naruto that made you leave? I’d understand if it was.”  

Sakura let a small smile slip across her pretty features. “No, no. It wasn’t those him. I actually found him and Kiba quite funny, and before you even say it, I believe that you’re not part of team man whore, honestly.”

Sasuke looked down at her, obviously beginning to become very confused. “So…what was it?” His eyes shifted to the side.

Oh God. Sakura stared up at him, her heart, beating a mile a minute, in her mouth. Could she do it? **Should** she do it? It half felt like telling Sasuke she’d gone out with his brother would be destroying any potential they themselves had as a couple. It felt like Itachi was following after her like a ghost, wrecking opportunities for her. She hadn’t felt this way about a boy since Itachi. Sasuke made Sakura feel things she hadn’t even felt **with** Itachi come to think of it, and she’d only known him for a day. It was insane how intense her feelings felt already.

 _So…why let Itachi ruin it?_ Sakura kept her eyes trained on Sasuke’s face, thoughts running through her head. _How do I even know that Sasuke’s Itachi is **my** Itachi? And if I hadn’t seen the text, how would I know anything about Itachi even exisiting? _

It was decided.

Ignorance was bliss and Sakura was going to be blissfully ignorant.

She cocked her head, pasting an awkward smile onto her face and hoping against hope she’d eventually be able to squash the feelings of guilt she was feeling about lying by default someday.

“Didn’t Shikamaru tell you? It’s kind of awkward, but I…I got my period,” she winced. “And I had to go. I thought it was better I leave earlier rather than later, you know? I wouldn’t want you to be disappointed.”

Sasuke brought his eyes back to look at her. “That’s really the reason?” He checked. “Shikamaru told me that was what you said, but he said you looked so freaked out he wasn’t sure he believed you. I was kinda worried you thought I would pressure you into doing something or something like that; that’s why I came here, to make sure you knew I’m not that kind of guy.”

Sakura gazed up at him, the smile on her face widening. “I know you’re not Sasuke,” she said. “You’re a real softie aren’t you?”

Sasuke’s cheeks blazed red now and he glanced to the side again, pouting slightly. “Hn,” he muttered.

Sakura began poking him in the chest playfully. “Do you believe me Mr Soppy Pants?” She grinned, moving closer.

“I’m not soppy.” Sasuke returned, though he was smirking slightly, his gaze still fixed to the side.

“Yes you are!” Sakura exclaimed. “You’re a secret soppy pants!” She went to poke him again, but Sasuke caught her hand. He pulled her in close and gazed down at her, his hands resting on her backside. Sakura stared back up at him, the breath nearly knocked out of her as she looked into those almost impossibly deep pools of black. Her hands were trapped against the hard plains of his chest. “Sas-”

Shino’s door opened. “Sakura, I’ve just remembered that there’s ant larvae in the pocket of that shirt. Be careful please.”


	3. Chapter 3

Ignorance is Bliss

_Chapter 3:_   **How do you solve a problem like Itachi?**

* * *

After screaming and hurling Shino's baby ant filled shirt (resulting in Shino rushing out of the room, gathering up the material and sending a look of pure hatred her way), Sakura had eventually roused up the courage to ask whether Sasuke would like to stay for breakfast. The boy had declined, citing that he had class in a few minutes, but would like to meet up with her later, and so it was decided: Sakura and Sasuke would go for coffee in the afternoon after Sasuke was done with his class, and Sakura had made the decision in her mind that she  **had** to broach the topic of Itachi that day, before it got too far. She informed Ino of this decision as the pair of them made their way into town, aiming to get a nice new outfit for Sakura to wear to the date ('You have to look nice at least one time when hanging out with Sasuke, Forehead' Ino had reasoned).

"Really?" Ino said now, peering at her as they made their way into a nearby store.

Sakura moved off to look at the shoes on the far wall, though she did flick a worried glance over her shoulder at her best friend as she did so. "What?" She questioned. "You don't think I should?"

Ino shrugged, her brow scrunched as she picked up a pair of ridiculously high heels and checked their price. "I don't know Saks, I mean, it could ruin things."

Sakura paused, a small balloon of worry beginning to inflate in her chest once again. This was precisely what she was scared about; what if telling Sasuke the truth meant essentially sacrificing a potential relationship? But then at the same time, what would happen if they got into something more serious and then later down the line Sasuke discovered Sakura had dated his brother?

"Urgh!" The pinkette flopped, nearly throwing the shoe in her hand as she flailed. "This is so difficult!"

"You're telling me," Ino concurred, looking between two different pairs of stripper shoes, looking thoughtful. "Should I go for classy stripper or part time hooker stripper?"

" **Ino**!" Sakura complained. "You're meant to be giving me advice here!" She paused and cocked her head at the shoes. "Who are you trying to attract with those?"

"Well, I think either Neji or hot mature student." Ino turned to look back at the shoes, her mouth pursed in contemplation.

Sakura sighed inwardly. Ino was never going to drop this Neji thing, which was why she always tried to steer her best friend in a direction directly opposite of the Hyuga if she got the chance.

"Hot new mature student?" She cocked her head. "What's he like?"

Ino turned excitedly to look at Sakura, slamming down the pair of stripper heels she was holding. "Super hot, swears like a sailor, disrupts the silence in the library constantly, total dickwad."

"Just you're type then?" Sakura raised a brow and shook her head, smiling. Ino just loved leashing the 'bad boys'. To be fair to the girl, she did manage it quite well. Sakura guessed the blonde just loved a challenge. "Wear the part time hooker stripper heels," the Haruno instructed. "Seduce hot new mature student, but please don't let him come crashing into my room like the last one."

'The last one' had been a very odd pale boy by the name of Sai who, while not fitting the 'bad boy' dynamic, had definitely fit the 'odd as hell, hard to control dynamic'. He'd come wandering into Sakura's room after sleeping with Ino and started chatting to a half awake half terrified Sakura about Van Gogh; not an experience Sakura wanted to live through again.

Ino rolled her eyes as she and Sakura approached the shop clerk, Ino holding the heels Sakura had advised her to purchase. As she set them down on the desk, the Yamanaka turned to look at her best friend.

"Sai was ok," she returned, handing her card over absentmindedly to the cashier. "Weird yeah, but harmless."

"Harmless sure," Sakura agreed. "But he talks to me about gradient blending every chance he gets now. He came into one of my classes to talk to me about it!"

Ino keyed her pin into the card machine handed to her by the cashier before turning to stare blankly at Sakura. "What's gradient blending?"

"A paint technique," Sakura answered. "It's like where you combine paint colours to-" She cut herself off, shaking her head. "That's irrelevant! Can we talk about my problem now? Now that I've helped sort yours?"

Ino, who had been looking quite interested in Sakura's paint technique talk, drew back, taking her newly bagged shoes off of the desk and flashing a smile at the cashier as she began to move away, Sakura following after.

"What's the problem?" The blonde asked airily. "You've got a date right?" She nudged the girl in the ribs, smirking cheekily at her.

Sakura went pink. "Yeah," she reached out and fingered the hem of a denim skirt. "But that doesn't solve the whole 'Itachi' thing."

Ino sighed too, drooping slightly before she puffed air in her cheeks and look around. "I say, don't tell him."

"What?" Sakura turned to look at her, dropping her hand from the skirt.

"You heard me Saks, don't tell him. Don't say anything about Itachi. How're you supposed to know he's his little brother anyway?" Ino was speaking quicker now, obviously warming to her advice. "If and when he does find out, it'll be Itachi who's the jerk right? Because he's the one who didn't tell you about Sasuke or Sasuke about you."

Sakura's head cocked and her eyes slid to examine the floor as she considered this. That would mean she'd be innocent in the party but…she wasn't innocent. "But what if he works out that I knew?" She asked, her voice quiet.

Ino put her hands on her hips. "And how'd he know that?" She paused for a few moments, chewing her bottom lip in consideration. "Ok, you're a crap liar I know that, but let's presume he doesn't find out for a few months, maybe when you've been together for quite a while -because you're quite clearly soulmates- you'll have had plenty of time to perfect your 'shocked embarrassment' about the fact you've dated both brothers. Walla," the Yamanaka spread out her hands with a flourish, grinning at her friend. "Innocent party."

Sakura pulled a face, lips pushed out. "N…"

"Yes." Ino interrupted.

"No, I…"

"Sakura!" Ino whined. "Come on!"

"No!" Sakura returned. "No, I have to tell him! I'll feel awful forever otherwise!"

Ino looked like she was about to answer but then her eyes widened and her mouth closed, her gaze focused on something over Sakura's head.

"What?" The pinkette demanded, going to turn.

Ino grabbed her however and spun her round, bringing her onto her haunches. "Sakura, remain calm and stay out of sight," she hissed. "It'll all be over soon."

"What're you…?" Sakura trailed off as she realised what was going on. A trickling sense of doom running down her spine, the Haruno turned and shifted apart the belts that she was hiding behind. There, half concealed behind cheap mock leather belts was Itachi Uchiha, his hand joined with a pretty purple haired woman's, a labret piercing beneath her lip. "Oh my God." All of the air felt like it had been knocked out of Sakura. They'd only been separated for maybe two months. Though of course she herself had been indulging in romantic interests, for some reason it felt like the ultimate betrayal that Itachi was already dating somebody else.

"Sakura…" Ino's hands hovered above the girl's shoulders, her eyebrows pulled down with worry. "Sakura, it'll be ok."

Sakura hunched herself over more, feeling pathetic hidden behind the belts while her handsome ex strolled around with a girl prettier than she was, and  **older** too. The Haruno couldn't help but wonder whether Itachi had someone else in mind when he'd been breaking up with her.

"Why is he even here?" She murmured, her voice subdued. "In that text to Sasuke last night he made it sound like he was at home."

Ino was quiet for a few moments before speaking. "Maybe that girl goes to Konoha Uni?"

Sakura closed her eyes.

There were a few moments of silence as Ino gazed worriedly at her best friend and then she peeked around the side of the belt display. "They're gone," she reported, getting to her feet.

Sakura did too, her eyes fixed on the floor, refusing to look up, her hair covering her eyes.

"Sakura-"

Sakura looked up. "I don't like him you know. Not anymore."

Ino looked unsure as she replied. "I…I know." She returned, not sounding convinced.

At Ino's unsureness, the fire in Sakura's eyes died a little. "Ok, maybe I do still, a bit," she glanced to the side. "But I like Sasuke more."

Ino smiled. "Good. Then don't let Itachi hold you back from getting him!"

Inside, Sakura knew it was probably completely wrong, and potentially emotionally crippling, to continue trying to pursue a relationship with the brother of the ex she still held some feelings for, but the idea of giving up on what she and Sasuke could potentially have, that actually made her heart twinge almost as much as seeing Itachi did. Maybe more. Though she hadn't known him long, Sakura had a strong feeling about Sasuke. She felt strongly about him. She already adored him; the way his long fringe fell in front of his eyes when he looked down at her, the intelligence that danced in the black depths of his eyes, the way his lips curled up at the sides when he smiled, the feel of his hands on hers.

Right.

That was it.

It was official.

Itachi was not going to ruin her chances with Sasuke, and if that meant Sakura was going to have to play dumb in relation to their, uh, relation, then that's what she would do. She had to take this chance with Sasuke.

Yet again the girl reconfirmed to herself that she was not going to speak about Itachi, she wouldn't bring him up, and unless Sasuke showed her a picture of the other male and said 'this is my brother Itachi', then she could pretend that maybe Sasuke's Itachi was a different Itachi.

Hey…maybe it was?

Ino, obviously watching the mental gymnastics going on in the Haruno's head, leant forward slightly. "So…you're not going to tell Sasuke about Itachi are you?"

Sakura looked up, her eyes fierce, and shook her head. Ino grinned and clapped.

"Oh I love it when you get that look in your eye! Ok! Let's buy you a super hot new outfit! Then maybe you'll already have someone in your room tonight if my super hot bad boy does come slamming into your room!"

Sakura still had a pit in her stomach, but she nodded enthusiastically, ignoring the swelling of guilt and worry she was feeling. It wasn't fair on Sasuke, but then it also wasn't fair on her.

Everything had worked out for Itachi, why couldn't things work out for her too?

She and Ino began making their way out of the store, headed for another clothes shop, Sakura trying the whole walk to shake the worry and guilt out of her head and absorb some of Ino's brash enthusiasm.

Maybe family wouldn't even come up?

* * *

"Family?"

Sakura winced. She and Sasuke sat in a cute coffee shop just off the college campus, the sky just beginning to darken with the afternoon- grey clouds settling over an orange expanse of sun that bathed the whole area in a comforting light. It shone through the leaves outside, casting dappled patterns across Sasuke's forearms which rested on the table as he leant forward slightly and watched her for her answer with interest, his black coffee on the table beside him. He had obviously noticed the wince, as his brow creased minimally.

"You don't have to answer that. I know people have different situations."

"Oh, uh, no, no," Sakura reached out and grabbed her cappuccino, pressing her lips to it and heaving in a sip. "I'm an only child,"

Oh God. And now it would seem weird if she didn't ask Sasuke about his family wouldn't it? You can't just tell someone about your life and then not ask about theirs, that wasn't how it- Sakura's inner panicky monologue was cut short when she saw Sasuke was smirking at her.

"What?" She asked, glancing down at herself. She was dressed in a black pinafore with a white shirt underneath and, as far as she could tell, nothing about the outfit had changed since she'd last put it on. No clothing mishaps or anything.

Sasuke brought one of his fingers up and tapped his top lip, his small smirk still on his face. Sakura looked at him in confusion for a few moments before a spark of realisation flitted across her face and she snatched up a napkin, wiping away the foam off her top lip. Why had she ordered a cappuccino!? Everyone knows you're meant to order something cute and unmessy for a first date!

"Sorry!" She squeaked once her face was clear. "Is it all gone?"

Sasuke nodded and then lifted one of his shoulders up slightly, letting it drop. "You don't have to apologise." He picked up his coffee and took a sip, his dark eyes set on her face.

Sakura flushed red.

Sasuke seemed content to simply gaze at her, but Sakura was well aware her face was going pinker and pinker and so scrambled to find the thread of conversation again. Trying to disguise the growing embarrassed smile that had exploded on her face, the girl stared down at the table, hiding her eyes behind her hair as she brought a finger up to push a sugar packet on the table about.

"How was class?" She enquired.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, sitting back. "Eh, it was ok. My tutor's a bit of a weirdo."

Sakura giggled. "How come?" She enquired.

Sasuke smiled at her laughter and then cocked his head, his eyes flicking between her gaze and her mouth as he spoke. "He's really high strung. Doesn't help that Naruto will crash in there from time to time. He can be such a pain."

Sakura tucked her hair behind her ear. "Why does he come into your class? Does he take Maths as well?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Politics," he answered. "And he comes in because, his words, he likes to 'hang' with me."

"During class?" Sakura checked, smiling at the sheer nerve of Sasuke's best friend.

"Yuuup," Sasuke drew out the word. "He's a dobe," he supplied. "And Ebisu, my tutor, hates him for it."

Sakura giggled again. "But I bet he loves you, right? I bet you're the perfect student."

Sasuke shrugged modestly. "Maybe. What about you?"

Sakura sat up a little straighter. If there was one thing she was proud of, it was her medical ability and educational achievements. "I got the highest in my class in a recent exam," she replied, unable to help boasting a little. "I got 91%."

"Really?" Sasuke took a piece of his hair and twiddled it between his fingers, examining it before he met eyes with her again. "I got 94% on my most recent exam."

Sakura stalled and her gaze became locked with his. Sasuke smirked, obviously pleased he'd managed to push a button.

"Well I…I…" Sakura glanced around and then yanked up her coffee. "I probably could have got higher. I only had like a day to revise and I've got all this coursework anyway and-"

"Sakura, Sakura," Sasuke spoke soothingly through her, bringing a hand to rest lightly on her free one, the one that lay on the table. "I'm sure you're very smart," he cocked his head. "Very smart."

"I am!" Sakura returned, feeling a slight thrill at the touch of his cool fingers on her hand.

Sasuke let loose a small laugh. "I know. And I was joking about my most recent exam anyway."

Sakura looked at him earnestly.

"I only got 92%."

* * *

Finishing their coffees, the pair of them stepped outside. Sakura felt slightly glum, not wanting the date to end, but also aware she was too much of a scaredy cat to ask Sasuke whether he would like to come back to hers. They'd been in the shop for perhaps 5 hours, simply chatting and laughing. Sakura had quickly discovered that while Sasuke could be quiet or reserved he also enjoyed teasing her a little bit, something that actually made Sakura's cheeks warm even thinking about it. It was now nearly half 5 in the afternoon and the streets surrounding the shop were filled with lots of university students, all making their ways either to or from class. She and Sasuke stood outside the shop, Sakura gazing up at him and Sasuke looking down at her, his hands in his blue hoodie's pockets.

"This was…" She glanced to the side, going red before she looked back up and met his intense eyes. "Really nice. I really enjoyed myself."

"Me too." Sasuke returned softly.

There were a few moments of silence and Sakura chewed her lip before she looked back up at him and leant up slightly. Sasuke, thankfully, returned the gesture, taking his hands out of his pockets and leaning down to press his lips against hers, one of his arms coming up to snake around her waist while his other hand came and held her chin. Sakura felt breathless once again as their tongues brushed against each other and then he stepped back. Sakura immediately felt hard done by, wanting the kiss to go on forever.

"Do you…do you want to come back to mine?" She asked.

Sasuke moved his hand from her chin and brushed some of her hair behind her ear. "Sure." He replied huskily. 


	4. Chapter 4

Ignorance is Bliss

_Chapter 4:_   **How many Third Wheels do you need?**

* * *

 

Honestly Sakura wasn’t one hundred percent certain what she was going to do with Sasuke once they got into her place. She knew what the **end game** was, obviously. She wasn’t stupid; but every time she looked at her date, she felt an overwhelming thrill. She was like a child with a new toy, wanting to create so many different scenarios but feeling almost too overwhelmed to choose what to do. Heap on top of that the Haruno’s crippling insecurities when it came to hot guys, and you had a Sakura who was finding it very hard to comprehend that she was pulling Sasuke Uchiha back up to her dorm room. They were actually still holding hands. Even now as they entered the building they both lived in and started up the stairs. They had not stopped holding hands since they’d begun the journey back and that alone was enough to send a thrill up Sakura’s spine. Sasuke genuinely wanted to be with her and spend time with her. He could have made some sort of excuse ages ago but here he was basically, well, what was the word… **pursuing**? He was pursuing a relationship with her. That was crazy right?

Well, whatever. It was happening and Sakura was happy to allow it to happen. Especially considering it was probably the best thing to ever happen to her ever.

They reached the top of the stairs and began down the corridor to Sakura’s dorm room. Oh God. They were almost there. It was going to happen. Sakura and Sasuke…Sasuke and Sakura…

The girl turned to give Sasuke a smile and the boy returned it in kind before leaning down to brush a kiss on her cheek. Sakura immediately went bright red, her stomach twinging as around a million or so butterflies started a happy dance.

The door was in sight. The door was in-

Karin Uzumaki.

Sakura stalled, the blush on her cheeks settling as a dust onto a now pale surface. Karin had known about Sakura and Itachi’s relationship. Karin knew basically everything about everyone and everything. There was no way Karin bloody Uzumaki didn’t know who Sasuke was.

Karin, who had been coming out of her room whilst arguing with somebody behind her, had also stalled. She was looking at Sakura with an odd expression on her face. Behind her 2000 dollar glasses, the girl’s red eyes flickered to Sasuke, then they flickered down to where Sakura and Sasuke’s hands were joined, and then they flickered back to Sakura.

The thing with Karin was, you couldn’t show weakness. Sakura could not let the other girl see that she had, indeed, caught her in rather an illicit situation.

Next to her, Sasuke was also looking uncomfortable. Sakura noticed that he’d tucked his other hand into his hoodie and was now glaring to the side. He pulled slightly at her hand, obviously wanting to move on. Oh no. Was this situation even worse than it could initially have been. Did Sasuke bloody know Karin?

Sakura’s eyes widened minimally and then she looked at Sasuke. Did Sasuke **know** Karin?

The silence between them all seemed to stretch on forever, though realistically only a second went by before the person behind Karin began shoving at her, sounding irritated.

“Karin I swear you are such a psycho,” sounded a boy’s voice. “Let me past. I won’t use your fucking laptop ever again. Jesus.” With these words a lilac eyed white haired boy’s head popped into frame. It was a guy Sakura recognised as Suigetsu Hozuki. He often hung around at Karin’s, though he never seemed to be having much fun when he did. Sakura had come to the conclusion that he and Karin had a mutual friend in another boy in their year, Juugo, and Juugo was unwilling to compromise on either friendship, resulting in them all having to hang out in a group in which two of the members despised each other.  As Sakura looked at him, Suigetsu craned his neck round Karin, trying to understand why the girl had stopped mid attack. Upon seeing Sasuke his face split into a huge grin. “No way, Sasuke!? I thought you said you were never coming to this floor ever again, on account of Karin being a crazy bitch remember!?”

He **did** know Karin! Before Sakura could react properly however, Karin was yelling at the boy next to her, bringing down a clenched fist to knock hard on his head.

“That’s not true Suigetsu, stop making things up!” She roared. Then, immediately, she snapped back to look at Sasuke. “Hi Sasuke. Long time no see,” she lowered her glasses in a flirty manner and brought a hand up to twiddle her hair. “I’d been missing you.”

As Suigetsu began making barfing motions, Sakura bristled. Was she flirting with Sasuke? **Really**? Even while he had his hand connected to Sakura’s? No. No that was not how this was going to go down. Sakura stepped forward slightly, raising her chin defiantly.

“Hi Karin.” She greeted.

Karin’s eyes flickered from Sasuke and then back to Sakura. She raised her glasses to their normal place and dropped one of her hands to her hips.

“Sakura,” she returned cooly. “I didn’t know you knew Sasuke,” her eyes once again moved down to where their hands were connected. “Especially not so well.”

Sasuke, who had been gazing defiantly at the wall after raising a hand in greeting at Suigetsu, looked round now. “We’ve only recently become acquainted,” he muttered. “Now it’s been great seeing you again and all Karin, but…” He let his sentence hang in the air and then began to move again, heading off to Sakura’s room.

Karin watched him, her eyes widening as she realised where he was heading. She burst away from her doorframe, releasing Suigetsu who came bundling out, nearly tripping due to the fact he’d been applying pressure to the girl from behind, trying to escape the confines of her dorm.

“Sakura, hi!” He greeted.

Sakura shot a smile his way, but then turned to glare at Karin who had come to stand in front of Sasuke. The red head placed her hand on the wall, peering up at Sasuke. Sasuke, for his part, was looking anywhere but her.

Suigetsu, following Sakura’s eyeline, looked over to what Karin was doing and rolled his eyes. “Karin, move out of the way dude. Go back into your room and cackle over dead bodies or whatever it is you do.”

Karin shot him an angry look. “I do not cackle over dead bodies Suigetsu. Fuck off.”

“You fuck off.” Suigetsu retorted.

Karin bristled. “You fuck off Suigetsu!”

Suigetsu grinned, obviously enjoying winding the girl up. “No you fuck off.” he returned, producing a drink from seemingly nowhere and taking a sip.

Sasuke let out an annoyed sigh and then went to move round Karin. The girl quickly snapped out of her argument however and moved too, blocking the boy’s path. Sasuke stepped back, giving the girl a look of pure annoyance.

“What are you doing?” He question, barely concealed irritation in his tone.

Karin, instead of answering Sasuke, was now looking at Sakura, a mean glint in her eye. “Sakura, you certainly have a type don’t you. Does Sasuke kn-”

Sakura began panicking halfway through the girl’s sentence, well aware of where it was heading. The bitch was going to ask whether Sasuke knew that Sakura had dated Itachi. Goddamn it did the Haruno dislike Karin, but goddamn it if the other girl wasn’t perceptive of situations. What could she do!? WHAT COULD SHE DO!? Stiffening, the girl opened her mouth.

“INO!” She yelled, halfway through Karin’s words, interrupting her and causing all of the other students in the hall to jump. “INO!”

Sasuke gave her a confused look, Suigetsu looked amused, and Karin’s expression was a mixture of both irritation and triumph. Not to be put off, the Uzumaki began again.

“Does Sasu-”

“INO!”

“Sakura, does Sasu-”

“INO!”

“Sasuke, did you-”

Sakura, feeling desperate, began jumping, yanking Sasuke’s arm up and down. “INO!” She yelled again. “INOOOOOO!”

The door to her dorm was ripped open, Sakura, half screaming, surged in, nearly battering a confused half-dressed Ino down. Not stopping, the Haruno whipped round and slammed the door closed.

Karin, behind the door, continued with her question, clearly enjoying being a malicious cow. “Sasuke, all I wanted to know is-”

Sakura made eyes at Ino and the other girl, while not quite understanding the situation, nodded, understanding it was time to take action at least. The Yamanaka ripped the door open, cutting Karin’s question short yet again.

“Karin, why don’t you fuck off to your own room before I call the landlord and tell him you’ve been letting non-residents stay in your room without a form.”

“Um, Yamanaka, you do that too.”

Sakura and Sasuke watched as Ino scoffed and pushed her long blonde fringe back. “Yeah, but I’m cute so it’s ok when I do it,” the girl made a shooing motion with her hand behind the door, out of sight of Karin, aimed at Sakura. “When you do it, you can’t help but wondering what you’ve given the guy in order to convince him to come back.”

“ **Excuse** me?”

“All in good fun Karin!” Ino twittered.

Sakura, deciding Ino had it under control, did as her best friend instructed and, still grasping Sasuke’s hand, headed towards her room. She closed the door behind her, releasing Sasuke’s hand from her grasp. From here, neither of them could hear the conversation going on outside, meaning Ino could handle Karin until she was gone and no harm would be done and no truths would be spilled before necessary.

Sasuke and Sakura turned to look at each other.

“So,” he said slowly, his brow still creased as he was obviously trying to work out what the hell had just happened. “You know Karin then.”

Sakura gulped slightly, glancing down and entwining her fingers together. “Uh, yes. We’re not the best of friends,” she glanced up, squinting at him. “And you know her too.” She pointed.

Sasuke looked uncomfortable. He brought his hand up to the back of his neck. “She’s Naruto cousin. We…well, once when we were drunk we made out and she’s been kind of clingy ever since.” 

Sakura gaped at him. “You…? With Karin…?”

Sasuke looked even more uncomfortable now. “I was really drunk. It was in the first few weeks of my first year and I try my best to avoid her nowadays.”

Sakura gazed at him for a few moments, feeling the tight knot in her chest at the idea of Sasuke being with Karin beginning to unwind itself. The boy clearly felt no love for the red headed harlot outside, and they’d managed to escape the dreaded Itachi mention. They were in the clear. She smiled up at him, her face becoming sunny.

“I get it,” she assured him. “We all make mistakes.”

“Yeah, some of them bigger than others,” Sasuke muttered, his eyes dark as he glared at the door. A few seconds trickled by and then he looked over at the Haruno, his head back slightly. “What was all that about by the way?”

Sakura felt a bolt of fear flash through her. She cocked her head sweetly, closing her eyes because she was too fearful that if she kept them open she’d somehow give something away. “Hm?” She questioned, voice high.

“Why did you start yelling through Karin out there?” Sasuke clarified. He tucked his hands in his pockets again. “I mean, I know she’s annoying, but I’ve never seen such a drastic course of action taken to stop her talking,” he shrugged, smiling slightly. “Not that I disapprove or anything.”

“Ok, if you’re going to keep chatting I’m gonna need to be clued in on who this Karin chick is because I am fucking lost as shit.”

Both Sasuke and Sakura nearly jumped out of their skin at the sound of a male voice in the room. Confused and alarmed, the pair turned stiffly only to see a guy in Sakura’s bed. He was half covered by the duvet, just the top of a strong bare chest and muscly arms visible. He was peering up at them with purple eyes set into a pale face and was currently mid yawn, apparently oblivious to the shock on Sakura and Sasuke’s faces.

Sasuke pointed at him. “Who’s this?”

Sakura kept her eyes on the man in her bed, confusion written all over her face. “I…don’t….know…” She eventually slowly managed. “Uh, um, excuse me, but what the hell are you doing in my bed?” She aimed this question at the trespasser, who was looking very snug with his head upon Sakura’s Care Bear pillow case.

The guy in the bed looked up at her and shrugged. “Just wound up in here.”

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged another look and Sakura raised a finger, about to ask a question, when the door behind her opened, revealing Ino.

“Uh…” The Yamanaka’s eyes flickered around the room and then she smiled. “I see you guys have met Hidan!”

Sakura turned to look at her. “Ino, why is ‘Hidan’ in **my** bed?”

Ino looked over at Hidan as if he would have the answer. The older male shrugged and then yawned again. Ino looked back at Sakura awkwardly. “Uh, cuz, Naruto’s in my room?”

“Why is Naruto in your room?” Sasuke questioned.

Ino shrugged. “He just never left after this morning. Ate all of our cereal and then crashed out on my bed.”

A silence reigned down. Sakura unsure of how to reply to this new knowledge. Ino glanced around uncomfortably.

“Well, this is fucking awkward.” Hidan laughed after a few moments.

Sakura couldn’t help but agree. Feeling a beat of irritation for both Hidan and Ino, the Haruno sighed. “Ok. I guess…I guess we could go get some tea or something Sasuke?” She suggested, smiling at the dark haired boy.

He shrugged back. “Sure.” He returned.

Sakura smiled wider, cast Ino a severe scornful look, trying to make it clear she was not happy, and then turned to grab the door handle. However just as she was pulling it down, the unmistakeable sound of the dorm room opening became apparent.

“I am home!” Rock Lee’s voice sounded. “And I have brought Neji and Tenten with me!”

Sakura’s hand dropped off of the door handle and she gave Ino a strained look. Ino returned it in kind, looking vaguely horrified. She glanced down at Hidan who was clearly enjoying himself, a smirk on his lips.

“How many people live in this fucking place?” He questioned, chin in his hand.

Sakura, herself, honestly half felt like slumping down the wall in depression. How had the situation turned from a sure thing with Sasuke to having a war with Karin and being surrounded by approximately one trillion third wheels? Not even **her** room was free. Not even **Ino’s** room was free, and now the living room had around twenty thousand people inhabiting it.

“Oh shit,”

At Hidan’s voice sounding again, Sakura turned, feeling glum, to look at him, only for her expression to become taken aback when she realised he was grinning right at her.

“Are we cock blocking you?”

Sakura went redder than she’d ever been in her life and, before Sasuke could react, she grabbed his hand, ripped the bedroom door open and charged out, slamming out of it and into the living room.

Yes. Yes they were cockblocking her, but Sakura didn’t need **Sasuke** to be thinking that. _Though…it wasn’t like he’s come over to play Jenga._ Before facing the people in the lounge (who had all turned in surprise to look at her due to her loud entrance), Sakura glanced at Sasuke. The boy was smirking slightly, his eyes on her. Sakura flushed even redder.

To be honest, she might need some liquid courage for this anyway. Sasuke was so beautiful that the idea of even touching him made Sakura’s mind boggle. There was wine in the fridge. It was Ino’s wine, but then Ino was in **Sakura’s** room, so apparently everything in the dorm room was fair game. This in mind, Sakura finally moved her emerald gaze onto Rock Lee and his friends, all of whom were sitting on the sofa, stacks of assignments set out in front of them.

“H…hello!” Sakura raised her hand, closing her eyes and cocking her head as she smiled in greeting at them. She’d only met Rock Lee’s best friends once or twice and, other than feeling slightly defensive of Ino in relation to Neji, liked them well enough. However, she couldn’t help but feel some resentment for them all now. They just **happened** to all swarm into the living room now did they? The Haruno half wanted to just make a mad dash for the door and push Sasuke all the way down to his room, but then she had to risk going past Karin’s room and all the other girl needed was one opportunity to yell something and fuck up everything Sakura was creating.

Neji and Tenten both smiled in return. Sakura noted Neji’s cold eyes flick to the bedroom behind her. Perhaps he had heard Ino’s voice? Oh God. This could be messy. Ino was well known to be promiscuous and it wasn’t something the blonde was exactly ashamed of, but when it came to Neji, the Yamanaka was very easily hurt; it was best the other girl didn’t come out…

The door behind Sakura opened and Ino came out, followed by a still shirtless complaining Hidan.

“Ah, this is turning into a much longer visit than initially advertised chickie,” he grumbled. “’Booty Call’ more like ‘Booty snail mail’,” he paused and glanced up, looking around at the people in the room with disinterest. “Hey.”

Ino was a pale pink colour, apparently not pleased with the way her bad boy was behaving, especially in front of Neji. The Hyuga male was now no longer up, his eyes instead fixed on the papers on the table in front of him. Sakura’s eyes flickered from him and up to Ino, and then over to Sasuke who was looking rather bemused and vaguely irritated by the situation.

_Oh God._ At this point Sakura was feeling like she’d like to just go into her room, sleep, and wait until this whole situation was over. It was guaranteed to be awkward as hell. They had entered a soap opera. It was her first date with Sasuke and they had entered a soap opera.

“Hi everyone,” Ino greeted. Her eyes flickered onto Neji and lay there for a while, obviously wondering whether she should extend out a longer greeting to him. She deigned against this however (something that pleased Sakura greatly) and instead smiled at Rock Lee. “How was your day Lee?”

Neji’s eyes flickered up once again and Sakura noted the slight frown on his lips; he was obviously not used to Ino essentially blanking him.

“I’m sitting down.” Hidan announced loudly before marching over to the only other chair and seating himself.

Ino, obviously spotting an opportunity, followed him over and perched herself on his knee, still smiling steadily at Lee, still steadfastly pretending Neji wasn’t there.

As Lee began to answer Ino, in his usual overenthusiastic way, Sakura felt Sasuke shift slightly next to her. He glanced down at her, his eyes questioning. Very subtly, as subtly as she could, Sakura inclined her head at Neji and then inclined her head at Ino, before then inclining her head again at Ino and then nodding at Hidan.

Sasuke’s eyes slid to the side as he considered this and then he also nodded subtly, apparently understanding. He leant down slightly, his breath tickling the side of Sakura’s and causing her whole body to erupt in goose pimples and burn with longing.

“Naruto will not help this situation.” He whispered.

Just as he said this, as if he’d heard himself being spoken about, Naruto burst out of Ino’s room.

“Yo everybody!” He greeted cheerily, waving, clad only in his boxers. There was a pause as everybody took him in and he took everybody else in. Apparently Naruto was pleased with what he saw. “Hey is this a party!?” His eyes moved over to Sakura and Sasuke and his face split into a massive grin. “SASUKE!” He exclaimed. “No way! Cool!”

Sasuke rolled his eyes at this reaction and moved away from Sakura slightly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Sakura glanced over at Ino to see the girl was now looking very stiff, the smile that had been on her face frozen. Her turquoise eyes flickered over to Neji again. The older male was still staring resolutely at the papers on the table, a perplexed looking Tenten next to him, but his mouth was most definitely set into a grim line, his eyebrows pulled down.

Oh God. Sakura so badly wanted to leave. Every fibre of her being was yelling at her to try and rush Sasuke out of there, but she had to be there for Ino. The blonde was her best friend and this was literally the Yamanaka’s worst nightmare. Whether anything had gone down with Naruto was completely irrelevant (and Sakura really wasn’t sure if anything had gone down considering Naruto had stripped down to his boxers when he’d ate all of their potato salad too, something that was distinctly not a sexual activity, at least in the Haruno’s opinion) because it was clear from Neji’s expression that he obviously believed he’d wandered into an apparent ménages a trois in motion.

“SO!” Sakura took it upon herself to drain some of the awkwardness from the situation, and the only way she could see herself doing that was by slowly kicking people out of the room. She decided to zone in on who she suspected could be the weakest. “Naruto, now you’re up, do you think maybe you could fetch some booze for this party?”

Everyone in the room, except for Naruto, looked at Sakura in shock and confusion. Naruto, meanwhile, was grinning widely.

“Yeah, sure!” He yelped. “That’s a great idea! I’ll go run downstairs to my room and get some now!”

Sasuke quickly intervened.  “No one wants your black absinthe stuff Naruto.”

Naruto wilted slightly, his large blue eyes drooping. “Why though? It’s funny.”

“It tastes like ass.” Ino retorted, obviously having experienced the stuff with Naruto before when out drinking with him.

There was a short silence, the only noise permeating the room being the clock on the wall which slowly ticked its way round. A faint light filled the room from behind half closed blinds. The students in the room all gazed ponderously at each other for a few moments before Naruto cocked his head at Sasuke.

“Well, ok, then what should I get? Do you have anything back home?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Go to the shop dobe.” He said steadily. 

“Wait, is this really happening?” Tenten questioned, glancing around at everyone in confusion. “I thought we’d just come here to study!”

“Well, yes, I thought so too,” Rock Lee murmured, sounding contemplative before he jumped to his feet and placed his hands on his hips. “But what is a better way to celebrate our youth than drinking competitions!? Naruto, random man I do not know, Neji, Sasuke, I challenge all of you to a drinking game!”

Both Neji and Sasuke shook their heads, Neji looking grim, Sasuke shrugging as if to indicate he physically couldn’t undertake the challenge. Sakura couldn’t help but feel complimented as she knew the boy was denying the challenge only because he wanted to be with her. After spending a whole afternoon with the boy, the Haruno was well aware of his competitive side.

Naruto and Hidan in contrast both reacted excitedly. Naruto whooping and yelling something indistinct as he rushed into Ino’s room to grab his clothes. Hidan quickly edged himself out from under Ino, whispering something into her ear that made the blonde go pink and look smarmy.

“I’m coming with,” Hidan declared, watching as Naruto reentered the living room, pulling on an orange jacket. “I want to make sure you pussies don’t get some weak ass shit.”

“HEY!” Naruto yelled dramatically, pointing aggressively at Hidan. “I would never buy weak ass shit! Believe it!”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” retorted Hidan. “Let’s fucking go.”

The pair began moving towards the door. Tenten leapt up.

“I’ll come with,” she decided. “Gonna make **really** sure you don’t get some weak crap.”

And with that the threesome departed, Naruto starting up an excited song as they left, the door slamming behind them. This left Rock Lee, Ino, Neji, Sasuke, and Sakura.

Sakura’s aim was to make it so only Neji and Ino were left in the room, therefore meaning she and Sasuke could leave and the Haruno would still feel like a good person.

The pinkette turned to look at Rock Lee, who was still standing dramatically with his hands on his hips, his eyes looking almost near tears.

“Lee?”

The bowl haired boy turned to look at her.

“Do you want to go see if Shino would like to join us this evening?”

Rock Lee reacted enthusiastically straight away, just as Sakura knew he would. Despite the fact that Shino had made it obvious he would never ever want to drink with them ever, Rock Lee tried every single time they went out to convince Shino to come with. Everybody else had all but gave up on trying to convince the bug boy to engage socially with them as it often came down to an exhausting routine of ‘please,’ ‘no,’ ‘please,’ ‘no,’ until whoever was trying to convince Shino gave up, coming slinking out of his room with a defeated look. This was, in fact, usually Lee. He was the one most exposed to this situation and yet he never let it dampen his spirits. He smiled widely at Sakura now, bringing one of his hands up to give her a thumbs up.

“That is a great idea Sakura!” He enthused. “I will convince Shino to come out and play the drinking game!” He hopped over the sofa and then rushed over to the Aburame boy’s door, knocking once before barging in.

“Right,” Sakura said, speaking through Lee as he began his doomed pitch to convince Shino to come out. “I think Sasuke and I will be going,” she smiled at Ino who, though looking nervous at the prospect of being left alone with Neji, smiled. “We’ll be back for the party-”

“Maybe.” Intoned Sasuke.

Sakura went bright red and felt a hot flush run up and down her body at the implication in the boy’s words. Ino grinned and sat back, raising her eyebrows.

“Don’t have too much fun without me Saks!” The blonde exclaimed, watching, with mirth in her expression as Sakura and Sasuke headed to the door and outside into the, mercifully Karin free, corridor.  


	5. Chapter 5

Ignorance is Bliss

_Chapter 5:_ **Macho Sakura**

* * *

 

If you had told Sakura Haruno she would be leading the beautiful boy she’d met in the laundry room when she looked like a goblin the other night to his dorm room for one specific reason, she’d have called you a liar, mean, and then a liar again because why be like that?

That was what was happening.

And Sakura didn’t really feel like she was in any position to be calling anyone mean or a liar right now.

“ _Sakura_.”

Sakura burnt red at the amount of want in Sasuke’s voice as they crashed against the door to his dorm room. They’d been attached and unattached at various intervals on their progression down to his room (the stairs had been tricky). As soon as they’d closed Sakura’s dorm room behind them, leaving all the madness of Rock Lee and awkwardness of Ino and Neji behind them, they’d embraced, and then they’d unembraced because they realised they kind of needed to get downstairs, but then at the end of the hallway before the stairs, Sasuke had pushed her against the wall and started kissing her ferociously, his usually calm eyes blazing hot.

They’d had to unattach themselves again when the sound of a door opening on the corridor had become apparent, and Sakura, panicking that it could be Karin, had dragged Sasuke into the corridor that led to the stairs.

In the quiet coolness of the stairwell, they’d continued kissing. Sasuke’s lips making Sakura’s tingle. Her arms wrapped around his neck tight, his arms alternatively slinked around her waist, one of them playing with the soft skin of her inner thigh.

Then Sakura remembered that they were in the stairwell and Ino had once threw up here and she’d had to clean it up because the landlord was a bitch, and so the Haruno had drew back and, breathlessly, grabbed his hand again and pulled him down the stairs.

They’d eventually managed it to his dorm room and this was where they stood outside now, still kissing. Their tongues brushing against each other and Sasuke’s grip on her hips hard, almost painful, as if he couldn’t bear the idea of ever letting go. A thought that made Sakura tingle all over. She hadn’t known Sasuke long, and so she wasn’t that knowledgeable about how he was when it came to affection, but she had known Itachi, and while Itachi was loving, he had always been stoic for the majority of their relationship, except when it came to moments of passion. It seemed Sasuke was similar to his brother in that way. But then at the same time, Sasuke seemed more unbridled than Itachi; he seemed to be all about Sakura in this moment, completely uncaring of the situations going on around him. Sakura felt warm even thinking about the intensity in which Sasuke was paying her attention. For him, it was about **her** , and Sakura had never felt so much adoration for one person. Sasuke was quiet and calm about his affections, but it seemed he had these feelings bubbling under the surface.

It was amazing.

It was fantastic.

It was **loud.**

Sakura drew back, once again losing the warmth of Sasuke’s lips, and glanced to the side, cocking her head.

“We’re gonna drink, drink, drink it all. Always go big, never go small!”

It was Naruto. Hidan and Tenten apparently harmonising with him.

Sakura looked back at Sasuke, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. Sasuke, hair slightly ruffled, met her gaze and then his eyes slid to the side as he listened too. His brow dropped.

“Ch’eh.” Sasuke complained quietly and then he dug his hand into his pocket, retrieving his keys. Keeping one arm looped around Sakura’s waist. He shoved the key into the door with his free hand. As the sounds of the singing threesome drew closer, Sasuke half pushed Sakura into his room before slamming the door shut behind him. Then he turned and, without waiting, he grabbed Sakura again and began kissing her ferociously. Sakura melted like putty under his grip and Sasuke was forced to cup her face as he deepened the kiss. Sakura brought her hands up to rest on his chest and, feeling like she may as well take the opportunity, moved her fingers down to caress his abdomen through his t-shirt, running her digits up and down his hard plains of muscle.

Sasuke’s hands also moved down, grabbing her waist. Eventually Sakura had to draw back for breath. This proved to be a bit of a mistake however; as she moved back, a memory flashed into her head of a night at Itachi’s. The way Sasuke was gazing at her now, his coal black eyes warm with fire underneath, made her head spin, but they were so similar to Itachi’s.

_Shit._

“Uh,”

Sasuke cocked his head at the uncertain tone in her voice, his eyebrows pulling down slightly as he brought a hand back up to brush some of her hair behind her ear.

“Could I-” Sakura looked anywhere other than him, her eyes darting around the dorm room. “Could I have a glass of water?”

Sasuke obviously sensed something was up with her. He drew back properly, disentangling himself from her. “Sure.” He agreed, his tone hard to read.

Sakura watched him move off to the kitchen, running a hand through his spiky hair.

What was she **doing**!? Hadn’t she promised herself Itachi was not going to ruin this for her!? Yet here she was, stalling for time instead of jumping on Sasuke! What would Ino say!? Sakura grabbed a few strands of her hair and held onto them, watching as Sasuke moved and grabbed a glass from the cupboard.

Sure, she hadn’t known Sasuke for long at all really, and sure other people would probably tell her to wait, but it just…it felt so right. Being with Sasuke felt right. Wasn’t she in charge of her own being? Couldn’t she decide what she wanted to do and when she wanted to do it? And was she going to miss out on something she wanted just because of Itachi? Not nerves, not second thoughts, not doubts, but because of Itachi?

No that was going to happen.

While Sasuke had his back turned, Sakura quickly tried to rip off her dress. However, just as it went up, she noticed Sasuke had turned to look at her.

“UH!” Fumbling, she continued to try to take her dress off, stepping back as she did so and falling over the coffee table that was in every student’s dorm room in the building. She yelped as she fell back and landed hard on the sofa, her dress over her head and her legs, clad in black tights, spread eagled. _Oh God._ Sakura burnt redder than she had ever done before. Why did stuff like this only happen in front of Sasuke!? She’d never done such stupid stuff in front of Itachi. Sasuke was going to ask her to leave. Why would he want to do anything with a weirdo who asked for a glass of water midway through making out and then tripped over a coffee table!? _Why do I bother trying to be sexy?_ Sakura thought glumly. The moments leading up to Sasuke speaking feeling like an eternity. _I need to leave that to Ino. I should stick to being the clever bookworm goblin one._

Sasuke’s face appeared where the fabric of her dress had previously been blocking her vision. He was peering down at her, a small smirk on his lips.

“Sakura?”

“Mmhmm?”

“Are you ok?”

“Yes.”

“The coffee table’s broken.”

Sakura went even redder. “Oh God Sasuke, I’m so sorry. I’ll pay for it I swear. I was just…I don’t even know, I’m sorry-”

“What were you trying to do?” Sasuke questioned, his eyes crinkled slightly with amusement.

Sakura felt a slight beat of relief that, at the very least, he wasn’t mad. “Take my dress off…” Sakura trailed off, feeling dumb now that she’d said it. “I’m sorry. I don’t know. I just-”

Sasuke leant over her properly, his hands reaching down to the grab the hem of her dress. “I can do that for you.” He murmured.

Sakura’s eyes widened and went, officially, nuclear red. A colour that her face had only ever gone once before, when Itachi had asked her out. This time though, Sakura was convinced her face was even redder than the first time.

“O…ok.” She choked out.

Sasuke moved his head down and began kissing her again, with no less fury and passion than before. Sakura relaxed into the kiss, her head swimming.

They drew apart again and Sakura stroked his face. “Promise you’re not part of team man whore?” She questioned, smiling. 

Sasuke smirked slightly. “I promise.” He got to his feet and extended out a hand for her.

Sakura took it and they made their way to his bedroom where they began kissing again. Sakura backed them onto the bed and Sasuke’s lips curved into a smile under her lips.

They released each other for air and Sakura glanced around at the room, taking the place in. Barely able to believe she was in here. This was like some sort of dream. The best dream ever.

Sasuke’s desk, in the far corner, was pin prick neat. His laptop sitting shiny on it. There were no clothes, other than the ones he’d recently taken off, strewn about, there was no left over food, or bottles of half drank water, it was the neatest room Sakura had ever been in. There were personal artefacts of course; some shelved books, both fiction and non fiction, some related to Sasuke’s course, and others not, a few posters on the walls, and a few cute photos too, mostly of Naruto and Sasuke, with some other friends appearing in others, stuck all over. There was also, Sakura noticed, a small green dinosaur toy at the bottom of the bed. Sakura’s eyes flicked over to Sasuke briefly. He really was kind of soppy in his own way. The girl looked back at the walls and then noticed a long frame next to the door, it was a collage of photos; a collage of photos of the Uchiha family. Itachi smiled out at her, his calm eyes fond as he gazed at the camera in multiple different photos. Sakura felt her stomach lurch. There was a picture of Sasuke and Itachi together in the frame, smiling at the camera, looking so alike, Sasuke just a little paler, his black hair darker against his skin than Itachi’s.

Sakura had to tell him.

Before anything happened. She had to.

“Sasuke, I-”

Sasuke cocked his head, his dark eyes sincere as he looked at her. Sakura felt a lump growing in her throat. She was going to lose him if she said this. She knew it. She was going to lose what she could have with hi-

BANG BANG BANG

Both Sasuke and Sakura jumped at the sound of the dorm room door banging. Despite herself, Sakura felt a small beat of relief mix in with the disappointment that overtook her.

Sasuke glared over his shoulder. “If that’s Naruto telling us to come join the party…” His words tapered off menacingly and then he looked back to Sakura.

The girl was staring down at the floor, feeling huge waves of guilt crash over and over her again and again. Sasuke obviously read this as reluctance. He cleared his throat slightly and then brought a hand out to hold her chin.

“Sakura,” he murmured. “There’s no rush,” he brushed his lips against her cheek. “We can go back to the party. Naruto will never give up on trying to get us to come up there anyway.”

Sakura felt more disappointment mix in with the guilt. She looked up at Sasuke. “Sasuke, it’s not that I don’t…It’s…” She trailed off again. She was too scared. She was a coward.

Sasuke shook his head minutely, indicating she didn’t need to carry on, and then kissed her gently.  

BANG BANG BANG

Sasuke’s face dropped slightly and then he drew back from the Haruno. “Dobe.” He grumbled in reference to Naruto, and then left the room, heading to the door.  

Sakura let out a heavy breath. So, again, she’d managed to avoid telling him. Again, she had made it harder for herself later down the line.

There was talking out in the living room, but no sound of Naruto’s exclamatory tones. Sakura ventured out into the living room after Sasuke, hoping to push the guilt and disappointment she was feeling out of her head.

Tenten was at the door, talking to Sasuke. Though she looked over the boy’s shoulder when she saw Sakura.

 “Sakura!” She exclaimed, looking slightly drunk, but not too out of it. “We need your help upstairs. Neji and Ino’s new boyfriend are arguing and Ino looks really upset, and Sasuke, we need you to come control Naruto because he is most definitely not helping the situation.”

“Of course he isn’t.” Sasuke threw over his shoulder. He bent down and picked up Sakura’s shoes, handing them to her.

Sakura accepted them, feeling beats of worry at Tenten’s words. “Where is Ino? And why are Neji and Hidan fighting?”

“I don’t know,” Tenten returned, jogging up and down on the spot slightly, obviously wanting Sasuke and Sakura to hurry up and come with her. “I think they’re fighting over Ino actually, but it looks like it might get physical and I don’t think I can restrain both of them.”

“Where’s Rock Lee?” Sakura questioned.

“Completely out of it,” Tenten answered. “Last I saw of him, he went running down the corridor with his shirt off,” she risked a glance over her shoulder. “Actually, we should probably try and find him after the whole argument thing is solved.”

Sasuke huffed out a sigh and then nodded. “Ok.”

Tenten nodded back and then immediately sped for the stairs. Sasuke and Sakura began following after her, walking swiftly. Sakura hoped to hell that Ino was ok. The last thing she needed was Neji arguing with one of her new squeezes, **especially** while she was drunk.

As they reached the corridor that Sakura’s dorm was on, the sound of shouting could be heard immediately.

“Who the fuck do you think you are!? Do you know who the fuck I am!?”

“An imbecile.” Replied a quieter, though not any less angry voice.

“Both of you stop it!”

“YOU GUYS ARE RUINING A PERFECTLY GOOD PARTY. I’LL FIGHT BOTH OF YOU BELIEVE IT!”

Sasuke dragged one of his hands down his face and then sped up, ripping open the door to Sakura’s dorm.

“SASUKE!”

Sakura peeped round from behind Sasuke to see Hidan and Neji almost nose to nose, glowering at each other fiercely while an upset looking Ino watched on. Naruto’s head appeared from behind the two taller males confronting as he noticed his best friend.  

“Naruto,” Sasuke returned. “Come here.”

“No Sasuke I have to stop these two from fighting! They’re upsetting Ino! Dattebayo!” Naruto returned this back quickly, putting his hands drunkenly on his hips and glaring from Neji to Hidan and then back again.

“They’re not upsetting me, they’re just being idiots.” Ino growled out, though the usual brashness to her tone was not there. Sakura could tell this was genuinely upsetting her. She rushed to the other girl’s side. Ino could handle situations like these, of course she could; she was brave and clever and strong, but she was also drunk and pining after Neji, so Sakura knew she needed her.

Sakura placed her arm over the girl’s shoulder. “How much have you guys had to drink?” She asked.

“Too much.” Neji said, his eyes not leaving Hidan’s.

Hidan snorted at this. “Yeah, clearly, cuz you would never step to me if you hadn’t got a bit of that liquid courage in ya.”

“You keep thinking that.” Neji returned.

Hidan grinned. “Oh I will cuz you haven’t made one move past just standing in front of me. You little shit.”

“Hidan!” Ino and Sakura yelled in unison.

Ino surged forwards, grabbing his arm. “Stop being such an idiot Hidan.”

“He’s the idiot Ino,” Hidan growled back, turning from Ino to glower back at Neji. “Or would cock sucking bastard be a more apt description eh? You little bitch.”

Neji’s eyes moved down to Ino, who was grabbing Hidan’s arm, trying to move the older male away from the altercation.

“Really Ino, I do not know why you’ve taken to hanging out with such trash.”

“HEY! Don’t call Hidan that Neji!” Naruto butted in.

Sasuke grabbed him, yanking him out of the situation.

“You fucking waste of space.” Hidan shot back at Neji.

“HEY! Neji’s ok Hidan. He’s a bit uptight but-!” Naruto’s next words were mumbled as Sasuke had slapped his hand over his best friend’s mouth and was now pulling him as best he could away from the fight.

“Neji, leave Hidan alone,” Ino said bravely, raising her eyes to glare at him. “And Hidan, calm down.”

“You’re defending him!?” Neji and Hidan both questioned. Hidan’s question loud and angry, Neji’s cold and furious.

“I’m not defending either of you, because you’re both behaving like morons!” Ino exclaimed.

“Ino’s right!” Sakura said. “Why don’t both of you leave? The party’s ruined anyway.”

“YEAH! You guys ruined the party!” Naruto agreed, breaking free of Sasuke’s grip for a few seconds before the Uchiha managed to restrain him once more.

“Fuck the party!” Hidan retorted. He looked back at Neji. “And fuck you too pretty boy. I’m not leaving until a few of your teeth are on the ground.”

“Try it.” Neji returned in his usual calm way.

“Don’t!” Ino yelped.

“Guys, stop!” Tenten shouted.

But it was too late, Hidan shook himself free of Ino and then brought a fist back, slamming it into Neji’s jaw. Neji, at the same time, punched too. Both of the boys’ heads snapped back as they recoiled from the punch.

Ino let out a roar of frustration and she and Sakura began yanking Hidan away, the male now laughing crazily. Sasuke, meanwhile, released Naruto and grabbed Neji, moving him and shoving him towards the door.

Neji looked up as he was placed outside, giving Ino one last hard look, and then Sasuke slammed the door on him.

“Stay out there Neji, I’m gonna come look at your face in a second!” Sakura called. She looked back at Hidan, who was still cackling to himself, blood pooling out of his nose. Ino stared at him, her expression upset.

“HIDAN, YOU’RE AN IDIOT!” Naruto exclaimed, pointing a finger at the older male. “YOU RUINED THE PARTY!”

Sasuke, sighing, grabbed Naruto and then shoved him outside too, next to Neji who had apparently heeded Sakura’s advice and was standing outside, opposite the door, his arms crossed.

As Naruto began yelling at Neji about ruining the party too. Sasuke approached Sakura and Ino. Sakura glanced up at him.

“You were really helpful,” she murmured. “Thank you.”

Sasuke nodded and brought a hand down to entwine with one of her free hands.

“Tenten,” Sakura called over her shoulder. “Could you get me a napkin with some ice in it? Should be in the freezer.” Then she turned back to Hidan and grabbed up one of his hands. “Hold your nose firmly, keep yourself upright.” She instructed fiercely. “Stay like that for 15 minutes, then we’re gonna put an ice pack on your nose, to reduce swelling.”

“Whatever.” Hidan muttered.

Sasuke’s grip on Sakura’s hand tightened a little, as he obviously grew annoyed at Hidan’s carelessness, but Sakura squeezed him back slightly, looking up and shaking her head at him before getting to her feet and heading to the dorm room door.

She opened it to reveal Naruto was now on the floor asleep, drool coming out of his mouth, while Neji glowered down at him, his nose wrinkled in disgust. He had a large bruise already emerging on his cheek. He and Hidan had really socked each other good. Sakura sighed and then went back into her dorm room, requesting another napkin with ice from Tenten, who diligently handed it to her, her eyes wide, as if she were assisting with brain surgery rather than handing her makeshift ice packs for two idiots.

Sakura returned outside, closing the apartment door carefully behind her. She pressed the napkin to Neji’s cheek and then, glowering, questioned him.

“Why?”

Neji’s harsh eyes moved to meet hers. “Why what?”

Sakura felt a tinge of annoyance. “Well let’s start with the obvious shall we? Why did you get into a fight with him?”

Neji’s eyes furrowed slightly, as if Sakura had just asked him a very stupid question. “Have you met him?”

“This was my first time actually,” Sakura returned. “But I managed to not get into a fight with him. Neither did Lee, neither did Naruto, neither did Ino, neither did Tenten, and neither did Sasuke. Which begs the question, why were you the only one who got into a fight with him?”

Neji’s nose wrinkled. “He’s so uncouth-”

“The only common denominator between you two,” Sakura continued on, acting as if Neji had never spoken. Sakura Haruno was not a rude girl, but she was very defensive of her friends, and the boy standing in front of her right now was the reason for a lot of grief in Ino’s life, so she wasn’t going to go easy on him. “Is that you’ve both slept with Ino. So tell me Neji, why are you so annoyed that Ino’s sleeping with other people when you’re the one who didn’t pursue anything? Is she not allowed to be with other people?”

Neji spluttered slightly. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course she-”

“When’re you going to admit you have feelings for her?” Sakura interrupted. “Either admit it to her and lay your feelings out, or leave Ino to it. You can’t not have her but also have her Neji, it doesn’t work like that.” Sakura felt, in the back of her mind, that maybe that last part was slightly relevant to her. Surely to truly have Sasuke, she had to admit everything to him? The further they went together, the more her relationship with Itachi became a bigger thing.

 _Right. Now is not the time or place._ Sakura shook her head and looked back up at Neji. The boy was gazing at the far wall with a faraway look in his eyes.

“Right.” He said in answer to her statement. “Yes. Thank you.” Then he took the ice pack and left, leaving Sakura to gape after him.

She paused for a few moments and then huffing, reached down and grabbed Naruto by his collar. She dragged the boy into her dorm room and closed the door after her. She turned, only to see Ino was no longer in the living room. The Haruno turned questioning eyes onto Sasuke, who nodded minutely at Ino’s bedroom door. Hidan was sitting on the couch, now pressing a slightly bloodied wet napkin to his nose, his eyes on Ino’s door. Tenten was slowly starting to clean things up, looking awkward. Sakura nodded at Sasuke and then looked back at Hidan.

“Hidan, I think it’s time you leave.”

“What!?” Hidan exploded. “But I-”

“Hidan.” Sasuke grunted, as, at the same time, Sakura cocked her head and narrowed her eyes.

Hidan flailed slightly but then relented. “Fine. Fucking whatever.” He got to his feet, kicked the table slightly and then went to slope out. He paused at the doorway however. “Uh, tell Ino…” He stopped. “Nah.” He muttered and then left the room, grumbling to himself.

“Hope he doesn’t run into Neji on the way out.” Tenten muttered.

Sakura sighed, and, pinching her brow, made her way to Ino’s room. The blonde girl was immediately obvious, sitting on her bed, knees up to her chin, lips pouted, glowering at the dresser across from her.

“Ino?” Sakura approached, coming to sit down next to her. “Are you ok?”

Ino didn’t move for a few seconds, but then eventually she started crying, resting her head on Sakura’s shoulder. “No.”

Sakura raised a hand and started stroking her shoulder, moving her hair out of the way. She leant her cheek on the girl’s head. “Want to talk about it?”

Ino sniffed. “Not yet. I just want ice cream and no more alcohol ever.” Her tears ran down Sakura’s pinafore.

Sakura pressed her lips to her best friend’s forehead and then shifted. “Your wish, my command Pig,” she whispered. “What flavour?”

“Mint choc chip,” Ino muttered miserably. “And can we order pizza? And can we watch some horror films? I don’t want to think about boys ever again. Ever.”

Sakura smiled at the blonde. “Of course Pig,” she said. “You get into your pyjamas and order the pizza. I’ll run down to the shop and get some gruesomely horrible films and ice cream.”

Ino nodded at these instructions and Sakura exited the room. Sasuke looked up at her expectantly, leaving his task of half heartedly poking Naruto awake.

“We’re gonna have a movie night,” the Haruno explained as the boy stood. “I’m just gonna head down to the shop now.”

Sasuke nodded, understanding immediately. “I’ll take Naruto back to the dorm and throw a bucket of water over him or something,” his hair swished as he looked from his best friend and back to Sakura. “You were really good back there by the way.” He said, his tone soft.

Sakura smiled. “So were you.” she murmured. There was a pause, and then she stood on her tip toes and kissed him. Sasuke responded and as soon as their lips met, Sakura felt like she was going to melt again.

“Um,”

Tenten’s voice broke the charged moment and Sasuke and Sakura drew apart, turning to look at her.

“I’m gonna…go.” Then the brunette lifted a hand, grinned awkwardly and opened the dorm room door, stepping over Naruto to get out.

Sasuke nodded, turning back to look at his date. “I’ll go too. Leave you to it,” he brought a hand up to caress Sakura’s cheek. “Can I see you tomorrow?”

Sakura beamed at him. “Of course.” She returned.

Sasuke smiled back, then leant down and picked Naruto up. He turned to look at her again and then looked down at the ground, his fringe covering his eyes, meaning Sakura could only see his lips and profile as he spoke.

“Uh, Sakura…I…You’re really cool.” The sentence was lame and it had seemed at first to be going somewhere more poignant before it fizzled out, but even so it still made Sakura’s heart swell. Sasuke was clearly not somebody used to showing affection openly, especially not sweet words, so she appreciated the effort.

Pink in the face, she replied. “You’re cool too Sasuke. I’m really glad I met you. I feel like I’ve known you forever.”

Sasuke looked up and then moved forwards, dragging Naruto with him. He kissed Sakura on the cheek. Sakura felt like her heart was about to burst.

After his small show of affection, Sasuke nodded at her. “See you tomorrow.” Then he dragged a still comatose Naruto away into the corridor.

Sakura watched him go. Even with the whole Itachi thing, the girl couldn’t help but believe that Sasuke was someone who was going to be truly important in her life. The intensity of her feelings were unmatched, and she still barely knew him. She wasn’t sure how long she could avoid the brother discover fiasco, but for now, she was happy.

She looked back to Ino’s door.

For now she was also very busy, and needed.

_Right. Time to get some ice cream and dvds._


	6. Chapter 6

Ignorance is Bliss

_Chapter 6:_ **A lot of talk**

* * *

 

“So?”

“So?”

“What?”

“What?”

After two horror movies (that had had Sakura hiding behind her pillow and thanking God she had a night light) and a whole bucket of ice cream, Ino was clearly feeling a little better. As a horrific goth girl crawled out of a cupboard and croaked its way towards a screaming teenager on the TV, the blonde leant over her squishy pillow and smiled wolfishly at Sakura.

“Come on Sakura, do I have to say it?”

Sakura really didn’t want her to. Ino was going to ask what had happened with Sasuke, and then she was going to scold her for letting Itachi get in the way, even though she already **knew** that was a dumbass stunt to have pulled. _Though it hadn’t seemed to put Sasuke off._ Sakura flushed red at the memory of Sasuke kissing her on the cheek. Yes, the Haruno was not blushing at the memory of their steamy make out session, but rather the chaste kiss on the cheek she’d received at the end of the night…her priorities were probably a bit mixed up. Honestly, as the girl was so insecure, she was a bit confused as to what Sasuke saw in her. She wasn’t over the top gorgeous; she had a huge forehead and no boobs, she wasn’t overly funny or witty, she was clever sure, but a lot of guys didn’t like it when she challenged their intelligence…except Itachi. He hadn’t minded, in fact he had liked her intellectually…or so he had said. Maybe Sasuke was similar to Itachi in that way too? The older brother had always had this way of making Sakura feel like she was a one in a million catch. _Urgh. No._ Sakura shook her head minutely, keeping her eyes squeezed shut, under the guise of being scared of the film on TV. She shouldn’t try and put herself into Sasuke’s shoes. Whatever it was that Sasuke liked about her, she couldn’t see it herself.

“ **Sakuraaaaaa**!”

Sakura’s eyes snapped open and she glowered over at her best friend, who drew back slightly, grinning wildly.

“You’ve cheered up,” Sakura snapped, reaching out a hand and snatching up a handful of popcorn. She viciously stuffed the food in her mouth. “I thought you said you didn’t want to talk about boys.” She continued through her mouthful of popcorn.

Ino rolled her eyes and then wriggled excitedly. “I don’t want to talk about **my** boy problems is all! But I definitely **do** want to talk about your boy! Tell all! Did you go all the way?”

Sakura blushed a deep pink and the grin on Ino’s face grew. She leant forward and poked the Haruno with one blue painted toe. “Ooh, Sakura, did you go all the way on a first date? Do I have something to be very proud of?”

Sakura slapped the girl’s foot. “No!” She denied. “No, I did not. Not that I…not that I didn’t want to…”

“’Not that you didn’t want to’?” Ino didn’t sound pleased. “Well then what happened!?”

Sakura glared at her, her face still flushed. “Your two **friends** started having an argument, remember!? Tenten had to come and get Sasuke and I to help!”

It wasn’t the truth obviously, and Ino seemed to detect this instantaneously; her brow dropping immediately. The flickers of the TV casting shadows and light across her face, the blonde leaned forward even more, her mouth pulling into a suspicious pout as her intelligent eyes scanned her best friend’s face. There was no wonder that Ino wanted to be a detective after graduating, the girl had such an ability to sniff out lies and half cocked truths that it was almost incredible. “What aren’t you telling me Forehead?”

Sakura steadfastly refused to look at her, directing her cerulean gaze to the TV and regretting it immediately as a gruesome death made its way onscreen. She winced and looked over at the wall, crossing her arms. “I’m not telling you that you really creep me out when you get all detectivey on me.”

Ino was not having this excuse. She sat back and crossed her arms, gazing at Sakura with a look of complete scepticism. Sakura brought her eyes back round and mimicked the other girl’s expression, lips pouted slightly, eyes narrowed, eyebrows scrunched. They gazed at each other for almost a full five minutes until eventually the Haruno flailed.

“Fine!” She yelped while Ino grinned victoriously. “Fine, I balked, ok? I saw a picture of Itachi in Sasuke’s room and I completely lost it!”

Ino’s grin had transformed into a look of righteous anger, mixed with tragedy. “Wait, wait, wait!” She cut through. “Dial it back a second there. You were in his **room**? Were you naked? Was he naked? Did you literally stop midway because you saw a picture of Itachi bloody Uchiha hanging on the wall minding his own business!?”

“Ino!” Sakura shrieked, horrified at this imagery.

“Sakura!” Ino roared back.

“Look!” Sakura said, her brow twitching. “We were kissing and stuff but then I saw the picture of Itachi on the wall and he wasn’t ‘minding his own business!’ He was right there!”

“Oh, what was he doing? Was he waving at you? Winking? Reminding Sasuke to wear a condom?”

Sakura’s cheeks pinkened and then, remembering how shit she had felt as she’d drawn away from Sasuke, she drooped. “We got interrupted anyway.” She muttered in a small voice.

Ino sighed dramatically and then moved closer to her best friend, shuffling as she sensed the hint of resentment and disappointment in Sakura’s voice. She reached out and grasped the girl’s wrist. “Forehead, you know I love you,”

“Yes.” Sakura replied in her tiny voice.

“And you know I only give you advice with your best interests at heart, right?” Ino watched as Sakura nodded, and then her grip on the Haruno’s wrist became a little harder. “Then please, please, either tell Sasuke about Itachi now, or just… **forget** about him for now. You can’t keep going like this surely? Eventually I think Sasuke’s going to figure something’s up and then it’ll all come out, and it’ll look crappy if it all just comes spilling out. It’ll be messy that way!” Ino paused for a few moments, and Sakura noticed the blonde was restraining a smile at her own words, clearly finding something dirty to laugh about. “Hehe, that’s what she said right? But anyway, look, do you want to tell Sasuke about Itachi?”

“Yes-”

“ **Really**?” Ino interrupted and she shuffled so that Sakura could only look at her.

Sakura gazed into her best friend’s eyes and then her brow dropped. No. She didn’t want to talk to Sasuke about Itachi yet. She was so worried that talking about it now, while there wasn’t anything really for Sasuke to lose should they not continue the relationship, would mean the boy would be more likely to drop everything and leave it as it was. Leaving Sakura as just a funny story, ‘Haha, once Itachi and I dated the same girl!’ Sakura didn’t want to be just a funny story. She didn’t know exactly how Sasuke was feeling about their budding beginnings of a relationship, but he seemed enthusiastic, and that enthusiasm was matched by no one more other than the Haruno herself. The idea of throwing it away, before it even had a proper chance…it was almost heartbreaking. Though she dreaded the idea of ever telling Sasuke about Itachi, Sakura had a slight feeling that perhaps waiting to tell him could be a good idea, just so, at the very least, she could suss everything out and try and guess how he’d react. There was no telling at this point in time. Though at the same time staying with him and waiting to tell him about Itachi felt a bit like a betrayal, it also felt like it could potentially be a kind of damage control.

“No.” She answered Ino.

“Right,” Ino sat back slightly, nodding. “So, that’s that option gone. So, now, focus on your time with Sasuke! Don’t let Itachi ruin it for you guys. You’ve decided now, ok? No more Itachi ruining things. Itachi is non existent.”

“But he isn’t-”

Ino grabbed Sakura’s face and squeezed her cheeks under her smooth palms. “Sakura. Itachi. Is. Non. Existent.” She moved the girl’s face so that it looked almost as if she were saying these words. “Say it with me.” She leaned in closer, peering at Sakura’s lips.

“Um.”

“Say it!” Ino demanded.

“Ok!” Sakura yelped as best she could under the blonde’s grip. “Itachi is…Itachi is, uh, non existent.”

Ino nodded proudly and then fell back and shoved some popcorn into her mouth, her face screwing up even as she did so. “Urgh, I’m gonna have to go to the gym extra early tomorrow, work off all this crap I’m eating.”

“Ino,” Sakura rolled her eyes. “You don’t need to lose weight,” it was her turn to reach forwards now, and she poked the Yamanaka in her toned thigh. “You’ve got a great body, you know you do.”

Ino gulped down her popcorn and then shrugged, reaching for the bottle of wine that stood conspicuously on the table. She took a swig and then pointed at the TV.  “Look, this is the bit where that demon thing swallows the girl whole.” Her tone was not filled with her usual glee however and Sakura noticed she was looking glum.

Sighing inwardly, recognising Ino was probably now thinking about her crap night, Sakura cocked her head. “Have either of them texted you?” She questioned.

“Who?” Ino asked, not looking away from the TV.

There was a beat of silence and then Ino looked over at Sakura. The pinkette’s head was still cocked, the locks of her hair falling into her face slightly as she examined her, her expression pensively worried.

The Yamanaka sighed. “I don’t know,” she passed the girl her phone. “I haven’t checked, and I don’t want to either.”

Sakura took the phone off her friend, unlocked it, and then peered down at it. There were three texts from Hidan, the first one explaining that Neji was a dick, the second one apologising, and the third one explaining that Neji was a dick **and** apologising. Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly and glanced at Ino. The other girl deliberately keeping her gaze on the TV as her best friend checked the phone. It seemed that Hidan was a bit more than just a one time screw; the guy hadn’t seemed the type to apologise or back down easily, he’d clearly recognised he’d hurt Ino’s feelings. There was also, surprisingly, a text from Neji. This text simply stated that he was sorry.

Grunting, Sakura locked the phone and passed it back to Ino. Ino was going to have to deal with this eventually, but since she wasn’t in the mood now (and it was kind of messy), Sakura wasn’t going to force her.

“Ino, when do you next have class?” She asked, bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them.

Ino looked over at her, her eyes glinting. “Not til Thursday, why?”

Sakura huffed in a breath. “I was wondering whether you wanted to go out tomorrow night or something? Get drunk and forget about everything?”

Ino let out a whoop of excitement. “Yes! Definitely! Ah, I can’t wait already! The dream team back in action!” Then she grabbed Sakura into a hug.

Sakura returned the hug, smiling grimly. Sure, she wasn’t a massive fan of going out, but this was for Ino, and it would be fun. No boys, just the two of them.

* * *

  
The next morning Sakura awoke to find Ino was gone, at the gym with Rock Lee according to Shino, who had been carrying some sort of suspicious package in through the dorm room door when Sakura had emerged from her room. A package that read ‘CAUTION. LIVE INSECTS.’ So Sakura was, apart from Shino, alone for the morning, which was ok by her, as she had to get ready for her second date with Sasuke anyway. The pair had texted before she’d gone to bed and decided that they should go for a walk around the park. Sakura, herself, was feeling rather giddy about the idea of seeing Sasuke again.

She sat in her bedroom now, on the bed, pulling a straightener through her hair, her eyes on her wardrobe as she considered what to wear. Just as she came to the conclusion that she would wear her newish grey skinny jeans, there was a knock on the door. _Sasuke?_ Sakura’s eyes slid to her alarm clock- the time read 11am, far too early.

_Knock Knock_

Well, Shino wasn’t going to get it. Maybe Ino had forgotten her key or something. Sighing, Sakura got to her feet and padded through to the living room as the door was banged on again.

“Alright, alright!” She said, reaching out and yanking the door open, only to reveal Hidan standing there. “Uh…oh…” Sakura was taken aback, unsure of what to say.

Hidan, for his part, made his feelings very obvious. His face, which had previously been expectant, dropped, his eyebrows pulling down heavily. “Oh, it’s just you.” He muttered.

“…yeah,” Sakura cocked her head at him. “What are you doing here? Ino’s out.”

Hidan shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his grey tracksuit trousers and glancing to the side. “I just swung by to uh….” He trailed off, and then looked up, meeting Sakura’s eyes. “Is Ino avoiding me?”

Sakura immediately steeled herself. She wasn’t sure how Ino wanted to approach this whole situation, and so it was her duty as best friend to not give too much away; she couldn’t lay Ino’s own feelings out when the girl wasn’t sure how she felt about anything yet. The pinkette stood straighter, swinging her half straightened hair behind her slightly. “I don’t know Hidan. That’s her prerogative.”

“Pregora-fucking-what?” Hidan glowered at Sakura for a few moments before grunting. “Ok, whatever. I just…Urgh,” the older male sighed heavily and then threw his hands up into the air. “That Neji guy was being a dick!”

Sakura raised one eyebrow, giving nothing away, though privately she agreed that Neji most likely probably was being a bit of a wanker. Hidan’s eyebrows screwed together at the look on Sakura’s face.

“Fine. Oh fucking kay. Just tell Ino I dropped by, alright?” He peered at Sakura for a few moments. “ **Please**? Pretty please with a bastard cherry on fucking top?”

“I will,” Sakura concurred. “I promise.”

Relief flickered onto Hidan’s face. “Good. Thanks,” he paused and then nodded at her, his chin up. “Thanks for helping out with my nose last night by the way.”

Sakura nodded courteously back at him. “I did it for Ino.”

“Sure, yeah,” Hidan agreed. “So did I.” Then he flicked up a hand in farewell and sauntered off.

Sakura watched him go and then closed the door. Hidan was a loudmouth, and rude, and uncouth, but he really did seem to care about Ino. Sakura couldn’t help but wonder whether Ino was aware of how much he **did** care. Sighing to herself once more, Sakura padded back to her room. Either way, she couldn’t worry about that now, she had a date to prepare for.

* * *

Later, that afternoon, Sakura had soon managed to push the Hidan/Neji/Ino fiasco out of her head, and this was in no small part thanks to Sasuke, who was managing to continue his habit of being so stupidly good looking it knocked the sense out of Sakura’s head, and also probably burnt a few brain cells up. He’d turned up at her dorm at their arranged time, his alabaster skin complimented beautifully by the black leather jacket he’d chosen to wear, and then he and Sakura had headed to the park, chatting the whole way. Sakura was still vaguely amazed with how Sasuke spoke so very little and yet kept the conversation flowing easily. She couldn’t help having the distinct feeling that the Uchiha was probably very capable of bringing conversations to a complete standstill should he choose to, and so she felt even more blessed that the boy seemed to enjoy speaking to her, even if she did occasionally stutter on certain words because she looked at him for too long, or he smiled and she lost her concentration. Though it wasn’t like Sasuke was infallible to her **apparent** charms, as she often noted him glancing to the side, his fringe just swishing to cover the ghost of a blush on his cheeks. Really, they were acting sort of like high school kids.

And Sakura **loved** it.

Itachi had been great, but too much of their relationship had felt serious, partly because of Itachi himself, but also partly because Sakura felt like she had to prove she was adult enough to be with him…a cause that failed in the end anyway. With Sasuke, yes, of course she still felt an urge to impress him, but she also noticed that he was more relaxed, and he seemed to find the stupid stuff that she did (like trying to throw bread to a duck at the lake on the park and smacking it on the upside of the head, resulting in much indignant quacking) **funny** , and **cute** even, something that the Haruno was definitely not used to.

In fact, eventually, as they walked around the large lake that made up the vast majority of the city park, Sasuke’s hand had crept out and met with hers, and they’d stayed like that, interlocked, both of them blushing enormously at first, though Sasuke’s blush faded quicker than Sakura’s. Now they strolled around the lake with their hands intertwined and Sakura was informing her date about her plans to go out with Ino that night, so as to cheer her up.

Sasuke raised his eyebrows as he took in her words and nodded. His free hand came out of his jacket and he used it to push his fringe back slightly, unnoticing of Sakura pinkening at the casual liquid sexiness of this motion. “Oh? Cool. And Naruto can’t even come ruin the night for you. He’s coming with me to my brother’s party,”

Sakura stiffened, and despite herself, her hands balled into fists slightly. Sasuke obviously noticed the motion as he looked sidelong at her.

“I would have invited you, but it’s probably a **bit** too soon for you to be meeting my family.” He smiled at her and Sakura felt herself go dizzy slightly before she recovered.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah!” She agreed, her tone almost frantic.

The pair were silent for a few moments and then Sasuke spoke again, the look in his eyes faraway, fixed on some point in the lake. “You were really good last night by the way.”

Sakura glanced up at him and then shrugged. “I didn’t really do much. Not like I could. Those idiots hit hard, but not **that** hard.”

Sasuke huffed out a laugh and then smiled down at her. “Yeah, but you kept your cool.”

Sakura smiled back up at him. “Well, I do want to be a doctor when I’m done with university, wouldn’t be ideal if I was running around like a headless chicken just because two idiots managed to draw blood.”

Sasuke nodded. “Fair enough,” he stuffed his free hand into his black jeans. “It was cool to see you in work mode then I guess. Especially in comparison to that Tenten girl; she looked like she was about to cry or wet herself, or both.”

Sakura watched a smirk curve onto Sasuke’s face and then giggled slightly. “You’re mean.” She scolded.

Sasuke’s smirk widened and then he leant into her slightly, shoving her. Sakura shoved him back and Sasuke returned in kind once more.

They made their way around the lake, barely speaking, just gently shoving each other, until they reached a long wooden pier that made its way out onto the lake, which was now gleaming in the orange sun’s light. Sakura breathed in the fresh air, smiling, and regarded the setting. It was gorgeous and **romantic.** Black shadows of people kayaked across the lake, laughing silently in the distance, while fishermen sat nearby, silent and introspective as they waited for their line to catch something. Other than that Sasuke and Sakura were alone, the wooden pier they now traversed completely bare of any other people. They only had their footsteps for company.

A thought popped into Sakura’s head as they made their way to the end of the pier, coming to stop at the edge. Sasuke’s eyes on the horizon and the trees that were silhouetted against the sun, and Sakura’s eyes on her reflection.

“Where are you going tonight?” She enquired after a few moments, barely wanting to break the silence but knowing that she had to have this knowledge before it started preying on her mind too much. The last thing she wanted to do was bump into Itachi on a night out with Ino, especially when Sasuke could be there too. It was too risky.

Sasuke’s eyes slid to look down at her. “Why?” He asked. “Are you planning on stalking us? ‘Bumping’ into us?” There was barely a trace of humour in his tone but Sakura just detected it.

She laughed. “No way!” She exclaimed her tone false in its anger. “I’m not that weird, thank you!”

Sasuke smirked. “Yeah you are.” He returned and when Sakura went to jovially argue back with him, he turned and ducked his head, pressing his lips against hers again. Sakura went dizzy but responded immediately, the words, and her worries about Itachi, dying in her throat as she returned the kiss.

She’d find out later.

She had Sasuke for now.

* * *

 

End of Chapter 6

* * *

 

_An: All I can say is sorry for how long this took to be uploaded! I’ve been so busy with work and family things, but I resolved to have this up. I am honestly so sorry and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I’ve had it waiting for a while, but I tend to like having the chapter after finished before uploading the one before. Hopefully my updates should become more regular again soon. I hope you guys enjoyed it._


	7. Chapter 7

Ignorance is Bliss

_Chapter 7:_ **Ninja Antics**

* * *

 

“And then, and I’m not kidding you, she asked me whether **hedgehogs** were a type of flower, because she’d heard of them before but had never seen them, but they seemed quite popular in her area!”

Over the dull thud of the music behind them, Sakura burst into a round of raucous laughter at Ino’s story about a customer who had come into her family’s flower shop back home the other week.

“How old was she!?” The pinkette questioned after she had finished laughing, reaching out to grab her drink even as she did so. Sakura was not a fan of going out on the town, this was true, but she had almost forgotten how nice it could be to just hang out and get drunk with your best friend, especially when it aided forgetting both of your life problems.

“Oh, she was about fifty something,” Ino returned, leaning in conspiratorially as she did so, one of her hands reaching out for her own drink. “So it wasn’t like she could play the ‘going doolally’ card or anything. Like, fifty’s barely old,” the blonde stopped to take a sip of her drink, her brow scrunching with consideration even as she removed her lips from her straw. “Well, I mean, it **is** old, but it isn’t **old** old.”

Sakura nodded along in agreement, smiling as she downed her second cocktail of the night. Having already drank before they’d set out, and this being her second drink, the girl was already starting to feel delightedly drunk, something that was she was enjoying a great deal. She and Ino were having a lovely night.

“How is your family by the way?” Sakura asked. “Apart from tired of crazy customers of course.”

Ino laughed. “They’re good. My dad’s pushing me to do better in my exams since I ‘only’ got 89% in my most recent one.”

Sakura rolled her eyes. While her parents were not the same as Ino’s –they barely took any interest in the Haruno’s results, whereas Ino’s were the exact opposites- she could imagine how irritating it would be to have someone telling you to constantly do better when you were already in the bracket of doing well. Itachi had been kind of like that. Not in an overly pushy way or anything, it wasn’t like he looked down on Sakura if she didn’t got 100%, but any compliment he gave her on grades she received was usually garnished with a ‘and I bet you could have got even higher’. Sakura knew Itachi hadn’t meant it any way other than a supportive one, but that had definitely been one of the key killers in their relationship- the fact that Sakura had never felt like she was good enough for him. She felt a slight twinge. It wasn’t one of missing her relationship with Itachi, it was one of the classic twinges of worrying that somebody, anybody, could agree with her own estimation of herself. Sakura knew that she needed to believe she was good enough for anyone, and that anyone would be lucky to have her, but it was a long road to that point. Suddenly, Sasuke flashed into her mind, and despite herself, Sakura went pink.

_Huh._ Sakura’s eyebrows screwed together slightly. She’d just thought of Itachi and, apart from feeling a little glum at the memories, she hadn’t felt any major emotions; just a slight dull ache, whereas thinking about Sasuke had sent her heart soaring. Was she…was she getting over Itachi properly? **Had** she gotten over Itachi? Sakura felt her heart swell slightly. She felt that she had. Sure she felt sadness that a relationship had ended, that was always sad, that was a given, but she hadn’t felt any…loss when she had thought of it now. Her mind had immediately flickered to the younger Uchiha brother after briefly thinking about Itachi.

“Well you’ve gone all pink,” Ino’s voice brought Sakura back to life and the girl’s eyes widened before she looked at her best friend properly, her mouth open. Ino quirked an eyebrow. “Thinking about something nice?”

“N…no!” Sakura squeaked, looking determinedly down at the table and tucking a piece of stray hair behind her ear.

Ino grinned and leant forward. “Or are you thinking about **someone** nice?” She reached out and poked her fellow female on the arm. “Come on Saks, tell Auntie Ino. Have you done the deed?”

“Ino!” Sakura complained, looking up and pouting.

Ino’s grin widened and then she sat back slightly, the look on her face now appraising. “I’m really happy for you, you know Sakura? After all the bullshit with Itachi, you deserve to be happy.”

Sakura’s eyebrows rose slightly, the shift in tone had been very quick, and though Ino was always willing to be a shoulder to cry on, she never usually changed the mood from playful on her own.

“Thanks Ino,” Sakura returned, her response heartfelt. “And, look, thank you for always being here for me. I know I must have been pretty annoying to deal with after we first broke up,”

“Just then?” Ino raised her eyebrows and grinned cheekily at her best friend, her grin transforming into a bark of laughter as Sakura, realising what she had just implied, reached out and slapped her softly on the arm. “I’m kidding! Don’t beat me up,” she held up her arm and cocked her head at it. “See the bruises? People will talk! Anyway, you don’t need to thank me Forehead, we’re best friends, we’re meant to be here for each other, and you’ve always been here for me,” the blonde brought her arm down and outstretched her hand, entwining her fingers with Sakura. “I love you Saks, a lot.”

“I love you too Pig, even if you are the most annoying person I know.” Sakura returned, grinning.

Ino drew back, painting a faux slightly shocked/slightly sad look onto her face. “Worse than Karin!?”

Sakura’s eyes widened before her eyebrows pulled down and she glared off to the side. “Right, I forgot. No. No one can be as bad as Karin.”

“What is that girl’s problem?” Ino murmured, reaching out to grab her drink again. The pair relaxed into a few seconds of blissful quiet, listening to the catchy song that the bar was currently playing. Sakura smiled slightly dopily, calm in her drunken state, allowing the bass of the song to flow through her from her feet upwards and into her body. She was so relaxed and at ease in fact that she barely noticed Ino raising her eyebrows as she drew her lips away from her straw. “Speak of the devil and she shall appear.” She muttered.

Slightly confused, Sakura turned to look in the direction Ino was looking only to see Karin had just stepped into the bar, Suigetsu, Juugo, and a few other people the Haruno had not met before following her in.

“Crap,” the pinkette tutted, turning swiftly back round and hoping that Karin wouldn’t notice her. Though having pink hair and wishing not to be noticed was similar to walking into a flock of pigeons holding bird seed and praying the animals wouldn’t come near you. Still, that wouldn’t stop Sakura **hoping**. “Is she looking?”

Ino, instead of verbally responding, painted a very false smile onto her face and waved in a cute manner at Karin over Sakura’s shoulder, twiddling her fingers. “She won’t come over Saks,” the blonde looked at her best friend. “Why would she? No offence, but she dislikes you as much as you dislike her.”

“Yeah,” Sakura muttered in return, her head still lowered slightly. “But she also enjoys winding me up, and last time she saw me, I was yelling your name at the top of my voice while holding the hand of the little brother of the last guy I went out with, something neither brother is aware of…”

Ino gazed at her for a few moments before letting out a cackle. “When you put it like that Forehead, I can’t help but understand why you’re so wound up!” She pounded the table, her intoxication causing her to find the situation funnier than it was. “You don’t half get up to some shenanigans.”

“ **Ino** ,” Sakura hissed. “Shh!” She leant forward, glancing side to side conspiratorially before speaking once more. “And **I’m** not the only one who gets up to ‘shenanigans’ at this table,”

Ino, realising where Sakura was taking the conversation, immediately drooped. Pouting she brought a finger up to the table, tracing the patterns in the wood and leaning down to suck on her straw.

“Have you spoken to either of them?” Sakura moved back, raising her head and looking down at her best friend.

“Not yet.” Ino returned. She blew some air out, making her long fringe flutter.

“But they’ve both texted you right?” Sakura prompted. “I gotta say Ino, I wasn’t expecting Hidan to text you. How long have you guys been…?”

“Bumping uglies?” Ino interrupted, not choosing the words that Sakura would have chosen, but getting the point across anyway. “That was…That was actually the first day, the day we were in your room. Sorry-” The girl quickly added this apology after seeing Sakura’s brow crease at the memory. “-But uh, actually…” Ino suddenly went very pink, and her gaze shot down to the table. Sakura leant forward slightly, peering at her curiously. “Um, yeah, actually, we’d been out all day. We went for lunch and stuff, and we’d been doing that quite regularly. He’s really cool, well…he **was** pretty cool,” Ino pulled a face. “Before he tried to punch someone’s teeth out.”

There was a silence and eventually Ino raised her head puzzled. She was met by the sight of Sakura gazing at her in delight, a huge smile on her face.

“You actually like him, don’t you!? You properly, properly like him!” The Haruno couldn’t remember the last time Ino had had a full blown crush. She’d had flings with people obviously, and there’d always been Neji, but no guy had managed to make her go coy for a long long time. Sakura could practically feel her heart swelling at the fact that Ino genuinely liked a guy…even if it was Hidan.

“Alright, alright!” Ino held up a hand, her face very pink. “Ok so I like him. What does it matter? The idiot ruined everything when he punched Neji.”

“So what **about** Neji?” Sakura murmured.

Ino pulled a face at this question, sitting back in her seat slightly. “I don’t know,” she returned. “Honestly, when I was with Hidan, I actually managed to forget about Neji for a little bit, but coming out of your room and seeing him made all those emotions come flooding right back. Not, that he seemed to care very much…other than judging me.”

Sakura cast her mind back to the text Neji had sent, and his reaction to the Haruno’s own angry tirade at him the night of the party. She wasn’t so sure Neji didn’t care. Sure the older Hyuga boy seemed to have a very weird way of showing it, and yes, Sakura wasn’t keen on the way he seemed to make her best friend feel down on herself, but the pinkette couldn’t help but feel that Neji probably cared a great deal more than he tried to let on.

“Ino, I think Neji does care. Why else would he have got so angry at you hanging out with Hidan?”

Ino shrugged, feigning apathy. “Hidan annoyed him,” she leant down and finished her drink off before looking back up. “He’s annoying.”

Sakura rolled her eyes at this answer. “ **Ino** ,”

“What!?” Ino retorted defensively. “Come on Forehead, let me continue ignoring the situation for a little while longer. **Please**?”

Sakura paused, a disapproving look on her face. To be honest, the Haruno was the last person in any position to be lambasting somebody from running away from facing the truth. She crossed her arms.

“Fine,” she relented. “But you’re getting the next drinks.”

“Will do!” Ino grinned, leaping up. “Six jaeger bombs, two vodka shots, and two vodka cokes, right?”

“Never in a million years.”

“You’re right, **eight** jaeger bombs, two vodka shots, and two double vodka cokes.”

“Oh my God.”

* * *

Sakura was drunk.

She was very **very** drunk.

Swaying back from the toilet, the girl paused to grab a hold of the wall, trying to keep herself upright. Usually the Haruno was so strong in resisting drinking, but Ino’s infectious attitude had eventually got to her, and soon she and the blonde had been downing drinks like no one’s business. It had been the fourth jaeger bomb that had done it, Sakura was sure. Why was it that you only ever realised how drunk you were once you were sitting on the toilet?

_Ok. Whatever._ Sakura steeled herself. She was going to stop drinking. That was her last drink. From now on she’d just watch -and laugh at- Ino. Ino could drink the remaining approximately one trillion drinks left on the table. Sakura was already dreading the almighty hangover she’d be nursing tomorrow morning.

With these thoughts firmly in mind, Sakura rounded the corner, only to see Ino charging towards her.

“Sakura, we need to leave now.”

“Huh?” Sakura took a step back, confused by the fervour in Ino’s voice and her close proximity. It almost seemed like the Yamanaka was blocking her from sight. “W…why?”

Ino leant in close, her eyes furtive. “Itachi and Sasuke are here.”

“ **WHAT**!?” Sakura’s screech was loud enough to alert the whole bar had music not been thumping loudly from a speaker next to her.

Despite the cover of sound, Ino still clapped her hand over Sakura’s mouth anyway, dragging her back around the corner to the girl’s bathrooms.

“Keep it down Forehead,” she hissed, slurring her words slightly. “Look, we need to devise a plan of action, because I’m presuming you’d rather not face this situation while you’re half wasted, right?”

Sakura, wide eyed, nodded her head quickly at the other girl. “But where are they?” She whisper hissed. “Can we get out safely?”

Ino peered round the corner once again, using one of her arms to keep her best friend pressed against the wall as she did so.

“I think so,” she murmured. She turned back to look at Sakura. “It’s gonna be tough though. They’re at the bar.”

“Well that…that should be easy,” Sakura tried to reason, quelling the panicky flips going on in her stomach as best she could. “We’ll just rush out. If they’re ordering they won’t-”

“Sakura,” Ino turned to look at her best friend properly, eyes wavering. “ **Naruto** is there.”

Sakura’s eyes widened and brought a hand to her mouth. Naruto so far had displayed a horrific penchant for roaring everybody’s names as soon as he noticed them and if Naruto was out on a night out, that meant he was on the prowl- any human being with long hair and the hint of boobs would be sniffed out like a hare being pursued by a fox.

“ **Crap**.” The pinkette cursed.

Ino grabbed Sakura by her shoulders and shook her. “Don’t give up!” She yelled. “Do. Not. Give. Up! We can do this! We just need to get going!” She peered round the corner again. “And quickly!” Then she snatched Sakura’s hand up and began pulling her out into the open. “Get behind me.” The Yamanaka whispered out of the corner of her mouth, pushing Sakura so that she was on the other side of her, away from the bar.

Sakura kept her head down but she managed a quick cursory glance over at the bar.

There they were.

The both of them.

Sasuke was leaning on the bar, just ever so slightly shorter than his handsome older brother. He had his chin in his hand and was saying something to the other Uchiha, a smirk on his face.

Sakura went pale. What if he was telling Itachi about **her**?

“TEQUILA! TEQUILA! TEQUILA!” An obviously drunk, but not quite out of it yet, Naruto had started up a chant that no one was joining in with.

“Quick!” Ino yelped, shoving Sakura harder and almost causing the drunk girl to trip over her own feet as they neared the door. Ino apparently inundated by more fear due to Naruto’s chant. “Yes,” Ino whispered violently to herself as they reached the door and then, “YES!” As they pushed outwards into the cold street.

Sakura stumbled out, releasing herself from Ino’s grasp and finally allowing herself some moments to breathe. She looked up at the sky to see grey clouds marring her view, it was going to rain soon. A cold wind grasped her, cutting past and causing her hair to rise up. She pulled her pink fleece closer and looked over at Ino, something suddenly occurring to her.

“I wonder what they were celebrating?”

Ino -who had been silently fist pumping to herself, clearly proud of what they had just accomplished- turned to look at her, her expression puzzled, her mouth curved into a pout of curiosity. “Huh?”

Sakura paused, eyes narrowing as she considered. It was autumn, so it wasn’t Itachi’s birthday. She looked up.

“Was she in there?”

Ino cocked her head, expression baffled. “Who?”

“The purple haired girl. Itachi’s new…Itachi’s new…” Sakura steeled herself, gulping down what felt like an enormous weight. “New girlfriend.”

“Oh…” Ino paused momentarily, swaying slightly due to her intoxication. “I don’t know, I didn’t look.” She admitted.

They were both quiet for a few minutes and then the pair looked up at each other, both sets of eyes’ widening as they realised they had forgot one terrible thing.

“Karin’s still in there.” Sakura gasped.

“Fuck!” Ino yelped and then, without pause, she went hurtling back inside, her heels tapping aggressively on the ground until she disappeared out of sight.

Sakura was left alone to consider what had just happened, what she was avoiding. The irrepressible swell of usual guilt rose up, covering her from head to toe in a fine mist of bad feelings.

She was being terrible.

Wasn’t she?

It wasn’t normal to sprint out of a bar because your ex and his brother had turned up. But then it wasn’t usual to be dating the younger brother of your ex without either of them knowing that was the case.

But then…

Surely Sasuke would have mentioned her by now?

How many Sakura’s did Itachi know?

_Maybe Itachi doesn’t care that you’re dating?_ A small kernel of hope rose in Sakura’s chest at this, though it was quickly destroyed by the sad feeling that accompanied it. That would be just great, if those 6 months had meant so little to Itachi that he didn’t care. Sakura didn’t want Itachi not to care…but then she didn’t want him to care so much that it would ruin things either…

God this was difficult.

Sakura wanted Sasuke and she didn’t want Itachi to know that they were dating, but if she wanted to be with Sasuke for the long run (which she was pretty sure, right now, she did) Itachi was going to have to know they were together. That would mean that Sasuke would have to find out that she, Sakura, had dated Itachi and then both she and Itachi would have to tell Sasuke why they hadn’t told him.

Unless Itachi had told Sasuke…and Sasuke was planning on telling her he didn’t want to see her anymore right that second?

_Oh God._ Sakura brought a worried hand to her forehead, staring at the bar in front of her. The bright neon lights that declared it was ‘open’ swimming before her gaze. Was that what he was smirking about? How he was breaking it off with her right now and how silly she was to ever…

A wave of nausea suddenly overtook the Haruno and she balked, bringing her hand to her mouth.

Crap. Was she going to throw up? It wasn’t bloody first year!

“SAKURA! I’VE GOT IT HANDLED!”

Just as Ino called out, Sakura turned and hurled- six jaeger bombs, two vodka shots, and two vodka cokes racing out of her and splattering onto the path.

The Haruno brought her hand back up to her head. “I feel bad.” She reported sadly.

Ino pulled a face but then walked over, placing a hand comfortingly on her best friend’s back. “You should really cool it with the drinking,” she said, no trace of irony in her voice. “You went too hard.”

Sakura wiped at her mouth, to no avail, and cast a glare at her best friend. After a few seconds however, scrunching up her brow proved to cause too much pain to her already pumping head and so she cast her eyes back to the street, feeling awful. “What’s happening with Karin?” She asked, voice small. “You said you’ve got it handled.”

Ino smiled vaguely. “Yeah,” she rubbed the girl’s back. “Hidan’s in there. Turns out he’s friends with Itachi-”

“You got in without anyone seeing you?” Sakura quickly interrupted, suddenly feeling a burst of panic. If Sasuke saw Ino, he’d wonder about her. That was the last thing Sakura needed right now.

Ino’s smile turned into a grin. “Sakura, I’ve got that ninja shit down,” she declared. “In fact-” She reached down and linked arms with her best friend, pulling her away from standing in front of the bar, and round the corner. “-There, much better. Yeah, turns out…Hidan’s friends with Itachi.”

There was a short silence and then Sakura looked up at her best friend, shocked. “ **Hidan**? With **Itachi**?”

Ino shrugged, looking just as puzzled as Sakura did. “They’re in the same football team or something?”

Sakura’s mouth pulled into an ‘o’ shape and she looked down at the ground again, staring at some grass blades that were pushing out of a crack in the pavement. She didn’t really know why she was surprised really; it wasn’t like Itachi had been showing her off to his friends…The girl held in a great shuddery sigh, aware that going down this path when she was drunk and emotional was really not the best idea. The pinkette looked back up at Ino and cocked her head.

“So…Hidan’s handling it?”

Ino’s smile grew wider. “Indeed he is,” she nodded. “I spotted him coming out of the men’s bathrooms and ran over to him…shut up-” The girl paused to admonish Sakura after the girl gave her a raised eyebrow. “-Because I thought he could help. Anyway, he just asked which one Karin was and then promptly went over and tipped a drink over her head. Karin, obviously, went crazy -effing and blinding, the whole shebang- and then, obviously, went to punch Hidan-”

“He’s good at that.” Sakura interrupted.

Ino paused. “At what?”

“Getting punched.” Sakura smiled.

Ino rolled her eyes and shook her head good naturedly before continuing. “And while I snuck out, Hidan and Karin were being taken aside by the big burly bouncers, who did not look pleased. Guarantee, Karin Uzumaki will be finishing her night much earlier than she planned. She’ll be sitting in McDonalds crying over a strawberry milkshake in 20 minutes or less, I promise,” then the Yamanaka placed her hands on her hips and grinned, cocking her head to the side. “You’re welcome.”

A few seconds dribbled by and then a large soppy smile made its way onto Sakura’s face. The girl rushed forwards enveloping Ino in a hug.

“You’re the best Ino.” She sobbed, burying her head into her best friend’s shoulder.

Ino patted her. “I know. I really know,” she sighed before pushing Sakura gently off of her. “Now come on, let’s get home- you smell like vomit.”

* * *

_AN: An: So...after two years...I've updated. I am so so so so so sorry for being gone so long. All I can say is, life got in the way, as it so often does and I fell out of my writing routine hard. I can promise that I will be trying to update this more regularly again as I truly love this AU. I hope anybody that was reading this originally isn't too mad at me for being gone for so long and I hope you guys caught up again :') I know I kinda forgot what was going on. So so so sorry and I feel free to leave reviews attacking me for being gone so long. I wouldn't hold it against you! Lots of love, Gerkyhen xx_

 


	8. Chapter 8

Ignorance is Bliss

_Chapter 8:_ **Worrying phonecalls**

* * *

 

 

 BANG BANG BANG

“Gaahhhh,” a hoarse throated Sakura brought a weary hand up to her forehead, her brain pulsing underneath her skull.

BANG BANG BANG

“Uhhhh?” A dishevelled Ino raised her head from the opposite side of Sakura’s bed, smeared mascara giving her panda eyes. “…who?”

BANG BANG BANG

“INO YAMANAKA. SAKURA HARUNO. OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW OR I’LL **BREAK** IT DOWN!” Karin Uzumaki’s melodious tones sang right through the front door, across the living room, and flew their way into Sakura’s room, smacking the Haruno straight in the face.

“ **Karin**?” Ino croaked out, looking incredulous before deeming the other girl not worth her time and sinking her head back onto the mattress.

Sakura squinted towards her bedroom door, confused. “Why’s she here?” She questioned, her voice scratchy.

“Mmmf,” Ino kept her head firmly pressed against the mattress as she replied. “Probably because I got a guy to throw a drink down her last night?”

A few moments of silence trickled by and then Sakura shot up, her facial expression horrified.

“OPEN THIS DOOR YOU BITCHES!”

“You did what!?” Sakura griped, unearthing herself from her duvet and crawling over to Ino. “She’s gonna kill us!”

Ino waved her hand in an offhand manner, not looking up. “She can’t get in-” The girl was cut off when the sound of the front door opening hit their ears. This sound was promptly followed by Rock Lee greeting Karin.

“Well hello Karin, you’re looking for Ino and Sakura? I think they’re still in be-” Before the male could finish his sentence, Karin smashed through Sakura’s bedroom door.

Sakura gaped up at her, her eyes wide and her skin pale, mouth pinched into an uncomfortable expression of both shock and horror. Ino, at the sound of the door being smashed open, had looked up, and even she was deigning to look a little sheepish, her hair a mess as she gaped at Karin.

Karin, in contrast, looked as if she had been to hell several dozen times before taking out a house share there and eventually becoming the devil herself. Her eyes glinted furiously behind her glasses, her hair seemed to float in cascades of red evil due to the motion of her kicking the door in, and her skin was the reddest, blotchiest shade of magenta Sakura had ever seen in her life.

As the Uzumaki lowered her leg with a defiant thump, Sakura put up a hand.

“Uh…hello?”

This was the wrong thing to say.

“HELLO!?” Karin screamed back, a vein popping in her neck. “HELLO!?” She repeated, another vein popping in her forehead this time. “I’ll give you bloody _hello_!” She surged forwards, apparently intent on slapping the shit out of Sakura, but thankfully Rock Lee had chosen this time to intervene. He quickly leapt into action, grabbing hold of Karin and restraining her by holding her arms behind her back. Karin hissed and spat wildly, her legs wind milling in the air.

“What’s going on!?” Rock Lee questioned in absolute bemused horror, his face turned away from the back of Karin’s head as she head banged angrily.

“Karin’s a bit upset.” Ino explained, sitting up properly and stretching out her legs under Sakura’s crumpled duvet.

At this complete underestimation of her feelings, Karin let out a guttural scream of pure rage and began fighting against Rock Lee in earnest, arms flailing behind her back.

“I’m scared!” Rock Lee announced loudly, eyes fearful.

As Sakura stared at Karin in horror, Ino leant forwards slightly.

“What’re you so mad about?” She questioned. “So you got a little wet last night,” the girl paused and then grinned as she realised what she had just said. “Most girls want their night to end with them at least a little wet.”

Rock Lee went a bright vibrant red and slumped slightly at these words which, unfortunately, gave Karin enough time to break free from her restraints and surge forwards. She hurtled the few steps to the bed and leant over it, pointing a finger in Ino’s face. Ino glared meanly back up at her.

“You. Have. Pitted. Yourself. Against. The. Wrong. Person.” Karin hissed, jabbing her finger at the blonde girl with every word.

“Try. Me. Bitch.” Ino hissed back, her steely glare matching Karin’s red hot glower.

There were a few seconds of silence and then Karin leant back, standing up at her full height once again. She crossed her arms, glanced around Sakura’s room appraisingly, and then looked down at Ino, smirking.

“Does Hidan know you and Neji used to see each other?”

_Crap._ Sakura’s eyes flickered to Ino worriedly. Ino, for her part, barely flinched…but she **did** flinch, a little bit.

“No,” the Yamanaka returned brashly. “Why would he?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Karin checked her nails, her smirk becoming smug. “I just think he’d probably like to know that the guy he got into a fist fight with the other day had an ulterior motive for being in your apartment,” she flicked her red eyes up to look at Ino again. “That’s all.”

Ino let out a shaky scoff. “You think, do ya? Well that’s great and all, but Hidan and I aren’t even dating, so if he has an opinion on that he can…” Ino trailed off, obviously not sure of what to say, considering the fact she had caught feelings for the older male, hard.

Sakura now felt the need to step in. “Karin, just back off would you?” She put forth, her tone half begging, half fierce. “Why can’t you just leave people to their business?”

“And **you** ,” Karin turned on the Haruno immediately, her face snarled into a mask of anger. “You can’t even fight your own battles, have to get Yamanaka here to use her grotty boyfriend to sort things out,” Karin tossed her hair behind her head and placed a hand on her hip. “Honestly, pathetic,” she snorted. “It’s only a matter of time, y’know, before I’m with Sasuke alone and I can tell him the truth about you and Itachi-”

“He turns tail and runs every time he sees you Karin. You’ll never get a chance to tell him.” Ino hissed out, returning to the fray of battle.

Karin smirked meanly down at the girl. “Keep telling yourself that. Bitch.”

Ino clenched her fists at this and Sakura looked down at the bed. Her lying and pretending had caused all this, and this really only seemed to be the beginning. How far would Karin go? The Haruno glanced at Ino… _and what if she had gotten her best friend in trouble too?_ Karin had never liked her **or** Ino, but now she seemingly had a vendetta and a lot of her laser pointed focus seemed to be aimed right at the Yamanaka. If Karin fucked up things between Ino, Neji, and Hidan, Ino might not be happy for a long time.

“…ok,” Rock Lee murmured after a few moments of Ino and Karin glaring at each other and Sakura having her seventh internal mid life crisis of the month. “Karin, I think it is time you leave,” he placed his wrist on Karin’s arm but the girl shook him off. She smiled cruelly at the two girls and then turned on her heel and strutted out, slamming their front door with a shuddering bang once she exited. Rock Lee turned back to look at his room mates with a scared look. “That was the most frightening experience of my entire life.” He said.

“You and me both.” Sakura whispered. She looked over at Ino and the girl was reflecting her feelings right back at her- this was a mess. A big one. And people were going to get hurt.

 

* * *

 

A few hours later and Sakura was just preparing herself, emotionally and physically, to get out of bed when her phone went off. Ino, still asleep half on half off Sakura’s bed, made a moaning sound of annoyance at the phone and Sakura kicked her slightly before reaching for the phone. She checked the caller ID: Sasuke.

Before she could even stop herself, Sakura had pressed the answer button.

“Sasuke, hi!” She exclaimed happily, almost shouting down the phone.

“Morning Sakura,” his heartmeltingly soft tones came floating down the line and Sakura kicked Ino again, though this time out of pure frustration. “You sound rough.”

Oh.

“Well thanks,” Sakura muttered back. “I went out last night and I’m still recovering.”

Sasuke chuckled and Sakura quickly realised he’d been making a joke. She went bright red at his laugh. God it was cute. She started picturing him, wondering what he was weari-

“Are you still in bed?”

Sakura bit her lip, glancing to the side kittenishly as if he could see her. “Yeah.” She admitted.

“Heh,” Sakura could feel his smirk down the line, paired with those red hot coal coloured eyes. “Same.”

Sakura felt a warm thrill run up and down her body. He wasn’t out of bed yet, after a night out, and he was calling her first thing?

Feeling brave, the girl circled some fabric on her mattress with her finger. Flicking a quick glance at Ino -who was still soundly asleep, drool coming out of her mouth- Sakura cupped her phone closer to her mouth.

“I wish you were with me,”

Silence.

“Here,”

More silence from the other end.

Sakura lost her cool, and her bravery. “I meant here in my bed with me but no worries if you wouldn’t want that. I mean it was rude of me to presume that I’m so-”

“Ah, Sakura,” Sasuke hissed out mid-way through, cutting her off. His voice sounded strained. “You drive me crazy.”

“Meep.” Sakura whimpered out, her head swimming.

There was another short silence and then Sasuke spoke again.

“Did you just say ‘meep’?” He asked, his tone amused.

“I…I might have.” Sakura admitted, drawing her legs up to her stomach.

“Ch’eh, cute,” Sasuke muttered back and Sakura went even redder than she had physically thought was possible. She swore even her fingernails were blushing. “Look,” Sasuke spoke again and Sakura could hear him shuffling, clearly sitting up in his bed. “I actually called because I want to talk to you-”

“I want to talk to you too-” Sakura went to blabber, but the next words Sasuke said cut her off, and drove an icy pick of doom through her heart.

“It’s serious,” he continued. “Is it possible for you to pop round tomorrow night?”

Sakura’s heart began beating a million miles a minute. It was serious? How serious? ‘I know you used to date my brother and now I’m furious at you’ serious? Her fingernails weren’t blushing anymore.

“T…t…tomorrow?” She murmured, barely able to keep the shake out of her voice.

“Yeah,” Sasuke affirmed. “Have a good day otherwise though Sakura. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then he hung up, leaving Sakura to bring her own phone down limply and stare at the now black screen in horrified defeat.

“You ‘meep’ed during that conversation. I heard you.”

Sakura looked over to see that Ino was once again awake, a smirk on her face.

“Have a nice chat? I presume that was lover boy?”

As Ino started stretching, Sakura looked back at her phone, her brow wrinkled. “It was…and the conversation was going great until he said he wanted me to come round tomorrow to talk…”

Ino paused mid stretch and looked sidelong at her best friend. “’Talk’?” She repeated. “About what?”

“I don’t know,” murmured Sakura. “He said it was serious though…” She looked over at her best friend, her gaze worried.

Ino looked back at her, her expression thoughtful. “Well…” she trailed off and then glanced away, obviously flabbergasted. “It’s not necessarily something… **bad** -”

“He was out with Itachi last night,” Sakura cut through, her words coming out quicker as she began to get more worried. “I bet they spoke. I bet one of them mentioned me and now Sasuke knows and he wants me to go round tomorrow so he can tell me he doesn’t want to talk to me anymore,” the girl hung her head. “I’ve ruined everything.”

“Hey!” Ino exclaimed, shuffling forward on her knees to grab Sakura by the shoulders. She shook her best friend slightly, expression fierce. “We did not do all that ninja shit last night for you to get broken up with! Even if he **has** found out about Itachi, just say **you** didn’t know! Lie, lie, lie! That’s how I got through highschool!”

Sakura stared back at her best friend hopelessly. “You really think that’d work?”

“Nothing beats playing dumb.” Ino nodded defiantly.

A few seconds trickled by as Sakura considered this and then she looked back at Ino, remembering a fact from last night that she needed to bring up. The Haruno pointed at her best friend.

“Hidan helped us out last night.”

Ino went bright pink immediately. Eyes sliding to the side, the Yamanaka scratched her cheek. “…yeah,” she concurred. “He did.”

“So…” Sakura looked at Ino, trying to gauge her feelings. “You’re talking to him again?”

Ino shrugged, trying hard to look careless. “Talking, but nothing else. I don’t think,” she shrugged again. “He’s…he’s not my type.”

Sakura pulled an incredulous expression. “He’s exactly your type.”

Ino wrinkled her nose. “Ok, he’s exactly my type, and he’s nice, sometimes, and he’s sweet, occasionally, and he’s sexy, and he went out of his way to pour a drink down Karin, and he can fuck with the best of the-”

Sakura held up a hand to stop Ino’s crass tirade and then cocked her head. “So…why not?”

“Why not, what?” Ino returned, using her apparent ace card and purposefully playing dumb.

“Why not…go for it?” Sakura said. “Like…actually try…having…a…relationship…for a change?”

Ino pulled back. “Me? A relationship? Hidan? **Try**?”

Sakura raised an eyebrow at her and Ino pouted, glancing off to the side.

“Look Sakura, I regret even asking him to help us last night. I shouldn’t have. I didn’t want to talk to him or Neji again. I meant that.”

“But you did…for me.” Sakura felt a pang of guilt.

Ino shuffled and got to her feet, stretching. “Don’t start feeling all guilty and ‘woe is me’ Sakura. You and I both know I wouldn’t have been able to hold out talking to them for long,” she shrugged. “Maybe I’ll stop with the guys for a while. Just focus on me.”

There was a short silence as the two girls regarded each other and then the pair burst out laughing.

Ino? Take a break from guys? Yeah, right.

* * *

 

End of Chapter 8

* * *

 

 


End file.
